HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court (HC) directed the Commissioner of Backward Classes Welfare to submit an action taken report in a PIL seeking inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of Rs 14 lakh released to an individual for conducting the 191st Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jayanti celebrations.
Expressing displeasure with the authorities concerned for failing to file a counter affidavit in the case, the bench of Justices MS Ramachandra Rao and K Lakshman passed this order recently in the PIL filed by S Rajesham from Secunderabad. Rajesham complained that the authorities of the BC Welfare and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) failed to take action on the representation made, seeking probe into the misappropriation of the funds released by the government to a person for the celebrations in the city.
Senior advocate S Satyam Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, informed the court that the PIL was filed in January and on an earlier occasion, the court issued notices to the respondent authorities and also the individual for filing counter affidavits in the case. But, there was no response from them so far, he pointed out. Taking a serious view of this, the bench directed the BC Welfare Commissioner to submit an action taken report on the issue, and posted the matter to June 16 for further hearing.