HYDERABAD: Questioning as to why the Telangana government had failed to implement the court’s order in spite of giving an undertaking for constituting a ‘state commission for debt relief (small farmers, agricultural labourers and rural artisans)’, a division bench of the High Court on Friday issued notice to state chief secretary SP Singh, asking him to show cause why the court should not punish him under the Contempt of Court Act.
The bench of acting chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice J Uma Devi was dealing with a contempt petition filed by BJP leader N Indrasena Reddy against Telangana government for its failure to constitute the ‘State Commission for Debt Relief’ within three months. On August 21 this year the bench, while disposing of a PIL filed by Reddy on the issue, had directed the government to set up the commission within the next three months.
Failure to implement the court’s order, Reddy recently filed the contempt case seeking punishment of the official respondents who included state chief secretary and others concerned under the Contempt of Court Act for wilful disobedience of the court order. Petitioner’s counsel Balaji Vadera submitted that the state government had failed to take any step to set up the panel. The bench issued notices to the senior officer and other officials to respond on the issue.