Hyderabad: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Anil Kumar on Friday ordered notice in an appeal requiring the authorities to compulsorily acquire an acre and 34 guntas of land on the Manthani Ramagundam highway stretch for road widening. The bench was hearing a writ appeal filed by the state government, aggrieved by an order of a single judge. The single judge had found that the land of the writ petitioner, Shreenivas Muddu, was used for road widening without formally acquiring it through the relevant process. The judge directed the respondents to initiate proceedings for acquiring the land occupied by the public works department (PWD) by initiating appropriate proceedings as per the law and conclude the same within six months. It was argued before the bench on Friday that the land was used for the highway based on the consent of the grandfather of the petitioner in 1960, and that the direction of the single judge was unwarranted in view of the same. The Chief Justice bench accordingly ordered notice in the appeal of the state government.
Notice on Pollution by paper unit
A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court on Friday ordered notice to the Pollution Control Board and various authorities for their failure to take action against Vijaya Anand Kraft Papers Pvt. Ltd. It was alleged by the Federation of Youth Programme that the unit had illegally discharged plastic waste and pulp after the manufacturing process. Repeated representations were of no avail according to the petitioner. The federation contended that the industry was granted conditional permission but the manufacturing process was in violation of the conditions, thereby jeopardising the health of the villagers. The bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Anil Kumar granted time to the authorities and the alleged erring industry to respond.
Selling Jaggery not illegal: HC
Justice Surender of the Telangana High Court quashed a batch of FIRs lodged over the sale of jaggery. The judge was dealing with a quash petition filed by Ghanshyam Karwa who was arrayed as accused in multiple FIRs (first information report). The excise department on the basis of a confession statement given by the principal accused in various FIRs stating that the jaggery for manufacturing illicit liquor was purchased from petitioner’s shop arrayed Karwa as an accused in the cases lodged for the manufacture of illicit liquor. There were no other allegations against the petitioner. Damodar Mundra, counsel for the petitioner, exp-lained that Karwa had been running the business of jaggery and his entire family was in the business for more than four decades. They possessed a valid licence and Goods and Service Tax (GST) invoice. It was also contended that the jaggery was being sold under the proper invoice with the phone number and Aadhar number of the purchaser being recorded by the petitioner at the time of the transaction. The judge quashed the FIRs stating that selling jaggery was not an illegal offence and not even prohibited under the Excise Act.
