State government best judge on Numaish: Telangana HC

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court  on Tuesday said the state government is the best judge to decide whether the annual Numaish exhibition at Nampally this month should be allowed in view of the present spread of Omicron  and other Covid-19 cases here.

A division bench of  Chief Justice SC Sharma and Justice Abhinand Shavili was adjudicating the PIL filed in 2019 by an advocate Khaja Aijajuddin seeking compensation to traders and visitors who lost their material and lives during a fire accident at Numaish that year, and also seeking a probe into the fire accident.

The PIL had contended that the exhibition was held without obtaining prior permissions from the government.

The court  disposed  of the PIL on the ground that the state government  had issued a GO, which had mandated the exhibition society to obtain  prior permissions from the fire department, the GHMC, the city police etc.

Counsel for the exhibition society, Prabhakar sought the court’s permission to challenge the decision of the state government suspending  the Numaish from January 3.

CJ Sharma observed. “Do you want people to die by visiting the exhibition under the prevailing circumstances? People are scared to move out of their houses and you want the exhibition to commence!"

Counsel for the society told the court that when malls, cinema halls etc were functional, the exhibition society too would like to commence its activities.

CJ said, "The state government is the best judge to take a decision on this, keeping in view the rampant spread of Omicron and the health of its citizens."

Advocate Khaja Aijajuddin brought to the notice of the court that despite the GO issued for need to have permissions, the exhibition society did not get any approval this year, but the society was very keen on continuing with the Numaish.

The court asked the government to ensure that the GO issued by it, making prior permissions from various departments a must, is strictly implemented.