Contempt Notices to Irrigation Officials for Ignoring HC Orders
20 Jan 2024 12:19 AM IST
The Telangana High Court has issued contempt notices to the irrigation department’s engineer-in-chief C. Muralidhar and other higher ranking officials. (Image:DC)
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has issued contempt notices to the irrigation department’s engineer-in-chief C. Muralidhar and other higher ranking officials involved in Kaleshwaram and Kalwakurthy lift irrigation projects in a contempt case filed against them by the Navayuga IVRCL-SEW joint venture.
The JV firm approached the High Court by filing a contempt case against the irrigation department authorities and also K. Ramakrishna Rao, special chief secretary (finance) and Smitha Sabharwal , the then special chief secretary of the department. The firm said that the said authorities had willfully not released the pending bills that were due to them for works done in the said projects. The firm also brought to the notice of the court that despite the High Court orders to the authorities to clear the bills, they had not done so.
According to senior counsel Avinash Desai, counsel for the JV firm, their client had completed the works allocated to it in Phase -1 of Sripada Sagar Project at Yellampalli village in Ramagundem mandal. For these works, the government has to pay Rs 76,53,43,801 and another 28,97,47,2651 to the petitioner for the works done on Kalwakurthy Lift irrigation scheme at Jonnala Boguda balancing reservoir in Khanapur village, Mahbubnagar.
Meanwhile, the court was not inclined to issue contempt notices to Ramakrishna Rao and Sabharwal. However, while issuing notices to Muralidhar and others, the court directed them to respond by January 22 on why contempt proceedings cannot be initiated against them for violating court orders.
The JV firm approached the High Court by filing a contempt case against the irrigation department authorities and also K. Ramakrishna Rao, special chief secretary (finance) and Smitha Sabharwal , the then special chief secretary of the department. The firm said that the said authorities had willfully not released the pending bills that were due to them for works done in the said projects. The firm also brought to the notice of the court that despite the High Court orders to the authorities to clear the bills, they had not done so.
According to senior counsel Avinash Desai, counsel for the JV firm, their client had completed the works allocated to it in Phase -1 of Sripada Sagar Project at Yellampalli village in Ramagundem mandal. For these works, the government has to pay Rs 76,53,43,801 and another 28,97,47,2651 to the petitioner for the works done on Kalwakurthy Lift irrigation scheme at Jonnala Boguda balancing reservoir in Khanapur village, Mahbubnagar.
Meanwhile, the court was not inclined to issue contempt notices to Ramakrishna Rao and Sabharwal. However, while issuing notices to Muralidhar and others, the court directed them to respond by January 22 on why contempt proceedings cannot be initiated against them for violating court orders.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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