HYDERABAD: Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao of the High Court, while refusing to cancel the notification issued by the joint collector of Khammam on December 10, 2011 for allotment of shops at Rythu Bazaar to new applicants, has ordered that the lease of the existing shopkeepers belonging to selfhelp and CMEY groups should be continued till the completion of the bid process.
Dealing with a writ petition filed by Sri Sai Mahila Yuvajana Sangham and two others, the judge asked the petitioners, who are members of DWCRA and CMEY groups, to submit applications afresh under the notification to get shops. “The petitioners, if they failed to get an opportunity in the bid process, should vacate the premises within seven days from the date of completion of the process.
Persons who quote the highest bid amount should get the opportunity to run shops in the Rythu Bazaar at Pavilion Ground, Khammam,'' he directed the respondents (Khammam joint collector and two others).
The petitioners, in their writ petition, said that the allotment orders issued to them did not specify any time limit or tenure to transact business. They said they had been doing business since 1999 without a blemish or complaint. Besides, loans were raised from banks and financial institutions to run the business. Moreover, the respondents had not issued any notice to them before issuing the notification nor were there cancellation proceedings.
"Besides being deprived of our livelihood, we will become defaulters of payments to financial institutions. Cancellation of shops midway will put us to irreparable loss and injury", the petitioners contended.