VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has permitted Amul to set up container booths in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits but asked it not to commence operations from them.
The VMC council had earlier passed a resolution to set up the containers as per the permission given by the State government. The same was challenged by TDP corporator N Balaswamy in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court.
Arguing on behalf of the petitioner, senior counsel B Adinarayana Rao said Amul was given permission to set up containers on nomination basis. The bench headed by Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra sought to know as to how permission was given to set up the containers on nomination basis instead of going for tenders.
Special Government Pleader C Suman informed the court that the VMC's Board Standing Orders were followed and the nothing was given free to Amul. The land was given at 10 per cent of the market value as per the BSO, he said.
Suman said the issue concerns women empowerment and Amul would procure milk and other dairy products from women societies and sell through its booths. Petitioner's counsel Adinarayana Rao said the containers are proposed at road margins and they pose a problem to movement of traffic. Adinarayana Rao further said that there are several cooperative societies and the government is promoting only Amul.
Suman said the petitioner is trying to create hurdles in the government’s efforts to empower women and a similar PIL had been filed before the High Court. The bench asked the registry to club the petition filed by TDP corporator Balaswamy along with the one filed by YSR Congress MP K Raghurama Krishna Raju and issued interim orders permitting Amul to set up the containers.The PILs will be heard again on April 12.