HYDERABAD: The state government on Monday copped a tight rap from the High Court for failing to check rampant illegal mining in the state.
A division bench of the court, comprising comprising chief justice Madan B Lokur and justice P V Sanjay Kumar, said Rule 23 under Section 27 of the Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 (APWALTA Act) needed to be struck down if riverine ecologies in the state are to be saved.
The bench was hearing submissions on two writ petitions filed against illegal sand mining in Guntur and Nizamabad districts.
To advocate-general A Sudarshan Reddy’s submission that the AP Minor Mineral Concession Rules would soon be amended, chief justice Lokur pointedly said, “We have to see your commitment in action.” He was particularly severe on the government’s indifferent attitutde to the environmental impact of sand mining.
“What’s the government doing? As against permission to excavate 20,000 tonnes of sand, contractors excavate 26,000 tonnes.
Have you assessed the underground water position and the impact of sand mining,” he said.
Justice Lokur asked the advocate-general to file an affidavit on the proposed amendments to curb illegal sand mining and posted the next hearing to Monday.
The bench also heard senior counsel S R Ashok seeking to implead his client in the case as he proposed to participate in the sand auction.
The chief justice asked the counsel whether his client had been a sand contractor earlier and whether he was ever penalised for violating rules.
Emaar Accused Called to Court on March 30
HYDERABAD: All the accused in the Emaar Properties scam, whether arrested or not, have been summoned to the special court for CBI cases on March 30.
The summons apply to IAS officer, BP Acharya, although the court has not taken cognizance of him in the chargesheet submitted by the CBI.
The summons have been issued ahead of the beginning of the trial in the case.
As per procedure, the court will spell out the charges against the accused and record their replies.
The Accused
* B P Acharya * Mohamed Ali Alabbar, M/s Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai chairman * M/s Emaar Hills Township Pvt Ltd represented by its directors * M/s Emaar MGF Land Ltd * M/s Stylish Homes Real Estates Pvt Ltd * Koneru Rajendra Prasad of M/s Trimex Group of Companies * G V Vijaya Raghav, finance head (south) of M/s Emaar MGF Land Ltd * M/s Boulder Hills Leisure Pvt Ltd represented by its directors * K Visweswara Rao, former IAS officer * Koneru Madhu and Tummala Ranga Rao, directors of M/s Stylish Homes Real Estates Pvt Ltd * Srikanth Joshi * Sravan Gupta
Ali Khan objects inclusion him as Accused Mehfuz Ali Khan, personal assistant of mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy on Monday filed a petition in the CBI court objecting to the inclusion of his name as accused no 7 in the Obulapuram illegal mining case.
Ali Khan contends that his name was not mentioned in the chargesheet or the FIR and so cannot be included as an accused.
Meanwhile, the court put off the hearing on the CBI’s plea for a prisoner transit warrant for Ali Khan to April 4.
The CBI had earlier filed a petition seeking Ali Khan’s custody.
Srikanth Joshi bail plea
The special court reserved for Tuesday its orders on the anticipatory bail petition filed by Emaar case accused Srikanth Joshi
Pardon order reserved
The CBI court reserved for Tuesday it s orders on a pardon petiti on filed by Emaar scam acc used Tummala Ranga Rao.
The petition has been opposed by another Emaar scam case accused, G V Vijaya Raghav