HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has moved the high court with a plea to vacate an interim order granting status quo on a petition filed by the chairpersons and members of various agricultural market committees.
The court had last month granted status quo on a petition filed by M Thirupathi Rao and others questioning the government’s decision to amend the Telangana (Agricultural Produce and Live Stock) Markets (Amendment) Act - giving it retrospective effect from Jan 1, 2012 - and Section 5 (3) reducing the term of their office from three years to one from the date of appointment.They contended that they were appointed for a period of three years and urged the court to continue them in their posts till the completion of their term. The court had opined that the provision for retrospective operation from a date before the formation of the State of Telangana “does not stand scrutiny of the Constitutional provisions since it violates the provision of Article 14 as the right to equality of the petitioners is sought to be taken away.” While granting status quo with regard to the functioning of the market committees, the court had, in its interim order, directed the State to file a counter affidavit and posted the matter after summer vacation for further hearing.The government moved the vacation bench with a plea to vacate the interim order. The bench said it would decide on the matter after going through the counter affidavits to be filed by the petitioners.