HC Directs State Govt to Pay SCB Rs 33.42 Crore

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday ordered the state government, within four weeks, to pay Rs 33.42 crore to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) in net proceeds of duty levied on property transfers since 2014.

The court said that failure to make the payment within the deadline would attract the levy of 12 per cent interest per annum on the principal secretary of the finance department and a monthly payment of Rs 1 lakh to the Army Welfare Fund.

Justice Chillakur Sumalatha issued the directions on a writ petition filed by SCB’s civil-nominated member J. Ramakrishna and arguments made by the counsel Daraboina Subramanyam Yadav.

“At a time when the Cantonment Board is facing a cash crunch, this judgment is a huge victory. We hope the money will be duly transferred to help the board speed up several developmental projects and primarily, repair works, which have been on hold for long,” an SCB employee said.

Petitioner Ramakrishna also challenged the GHMC Mayor and BRS and MIM corporators to pressurise the government to release the funds.