Telangana moves Hyderabad HC to vacate green stay on dam work

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Monday moved an appeal before the Hyderabad High Court challenging the stay order granted by the National Green Tribunal (South Zone), Chennai, directing it not to proceed with the first phase of Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme until January 17.

The tribunal had granted an interim order on the ground that it purportedly violates the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and is being carried out without necessary clearances under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 passed under the Environment (Protection) Act.

Telangana advocate general K. Ramakrishna Reddy on Monday urged the division bench of acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana and suspend the interim order as  it is arbitrary, unjust, illegal and without jurisdiction. The bench said that it will hear the matter on Tuesday.

HC admits appeal of convicts
The Hyderabad High Court on Monday admitted an appeal filed by five convicts of the Dilsukhnagar bomb blast case and it would hear it along with the reference proceedings of the Special National Investigation Agency court for confirmation of the death sentence awarded to them.

A division bench comprising Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice M.S.K. Jaiswal while admitting the appeal said that it would hear the appeal along with the case records and the file referred by the NIA court for confirmation of the death sentence.

The NIA special court on December 19, 2016, had convicted five operatives of Indian Mujahideen for their involvement in two consecutive bomb explosions that took place at Dilsukhnagar in 2013.

Seed firms get a breather
The Hyderabad High Court has declared illegal the cancellation of licences of seed companies by the erstwhile AP government, based on the recommendations of the district level committees.

Justice A. Ramalinges-wara Rao was disposing of a batch of writ petitions by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company Limited (Mahyco), Leadbeter Seeds Private Limited and others challenging the cancellation of licences between 2004 and 2006 for alleged supply of spurious seeds.

The judge noted that district level committees were constituted through an MoU between the companies and the government and not under the provisions of the Seeds Act, 1966 and Seeds (Control) Order 1983.

The judge ruled that licences of seed dealers or producers could be cancelled only in accordance with the conditions of licence and the provisions of the Seeds Act.

The judge said that “at this stage it is noticed that the amounts deposited by the petitioners are with the appellate authorities subject to the result of the present writ petitions. In view of the loss sustained by the farmers it was suggested to counsel for the petitioners that the amount can be utilised for compensating the farmers.”