Hyderabad: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Laxmi Narayana Alishetty on Friday asked the state government why it had not constituted tribunals as provided under the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act and the Municipalities Act.
The court issued notices to the chief secretary, special chief secretary (general administration), principal secretaries of municipal administration and panchayat raj and law departments, secretary, municipal administration and panchayat raj commissioner, asking them to respond within four weeks.
The bench was hearing a taken up PIL based on a letter by advocate Rapolu Bhaskar. He said that due to non-appointment of members to the tribunals, several disqualification petitions were pending.
As per the panchayat raj Act, any sarpanch aggrieved by an order of removal passed by the district collector or by intimation may appeal to the gram panchayat tribunal within 30 days.
HC slams dearth of cold storage boxes at Gandhi hospital
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday expressed its displeasure over the government’s negligence in providing a sufficient number of cold storage boxes for preserving bodies at Gandhi hospital. Out of 60 such boxes in the hospital, 25 are dysfunctional due to which up to 20 bodies get decomposed.
A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Laxmi Narayana Alishetty issued notices to the chief secretary, principal secretary (medical and health), commissioner (health) and chief superintendent of Gandhi hospital seeking a response by Tuesday. The court directed the principal secretary to file a status report.
The court was hearing a suo motu PIL based on a news report.
Chief Justice Aradhe referred to a Supreme Court judgment in which the apex court held that “right to dignity and fair treatment under Article 21 of the Constitution of India is not only available to living, but also to the dead body, after death.”
The court felt that the state government should take immediate remedial steps and ensure that the bodies are given a dignified departure.
High Court grants stay in defamation case against Congress MLA Duddilla Sridhar Babu
Hyderabad: Justice K. Lakshman on Friday stayed further proceedings in the register against Congress Manthani MLA and candidate Duddilla Sridhar Babu. The FIR was filed against Sridhar Babu for allegedly making viral a derogatory video against his opponent Putta Madhu.
The police had booked Sridhar Babu under the Representation of People’s Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions for giving a false statement in connection with an election, and making statements conducive to public mischief.
Apprehending that police may arrest him, Sridhar Babu approached the High Court for stay of all other proceedings.
Tera Rajnikanth Reddy, counsel for Sridhar Babu said that the Manthani police had booked the MLA for releasing a video on Madhukar, depicting him as a murderer, anarchist and involved in many cases. There was no evidence to show that the petitioner had spoken any words besmirching the image of Madhukar.
Counsel argued that nothing was placed on record by seeing the video to show that Sridhar Babu has uttered the words. The police ought to have verified the authenticity of the video, before registering the FIR.
