Govt defends land acquisition for Hyderabad Pharma City
Revenue Principal Secretary Navin Mittal submitted a counter affidavit in response to a writ petition filed by Dasari Veera Venkata Satya Kondala Raya Chowdary, challenging the decision not to restore his name as pattadar on the Dharani portal for a 10-acre plot in Medipally village of Yacharam mandal in Rangareddy District. In his affidavit, Mittal dismissed the claims which suggested that the Telangana government had decided to scrap the Hyderabad Pharma City project.
He termed these claims as “unfounded and incorrect,” emphasising that the petitioner had based his arguments on newspaper reports, which, according to Mittal, the courts have repeatedly discredited as unreliable hearsay. Mittal reaffirmed that the establishment of Hyderabad Pharma City, which includes the disputed land, is in line with GO 31, issued on June 10, 2016.
He clarified that no orders or decisions have been made to revoke GO 31 and that the government is actively implementing the project. The acquisition process, according to Mittal, remains valid, contrary to the petitioner’s claims. Mittal contended that the petitioner has failed to establish any grounds for the court’s interference under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. He requested that the court dismiss the petition, stating that it is not maintainable under the law.
Tapgate: HC reserves order on suspended ASP’s bail plea
Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of the Telangana High Court reserved her decision on the bail petition filed by Mekala Thirupathanna, a suspended Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), who is implicated in the high-profile phone-tapping case. Thirupathanna, the fourth accused in the case, has been in custody for the last five months. The ASP’s bail plea was earlier rejected by the trial court, citing the need for further investigation.
Thirupathanna has now approached the high court seeking mandatory bail, arguing that more than 90 days have passed since the charge sheet was filed, which under law entitles him to bail. Thirupathanna was suspended from his post following his alleged involvement in the phone-tapping case. Despite the charge sheet being filed, the investigators indicated that additional inquiries were still necessary, leading to the trial court’s denial of bail.
Petition against HPS over bias in payment of HRA
The Telangana High Court has taken up a writ petition challenging Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, over allegations of discrimination in the payment of house rent allowance (HRA) to one of its employees. The petition, filed by Pramod K Karanam, a mess manager at the school, claims that the institution has failed to pay him HRA on par with other staff members residing in the school’s staff quarters since 2021.
Justice Pulla Karthik directed the respondent authorities to provide a formal response to the allegations within four weeks. In addition to the alleged HRA disparity, the petitioner also contended that the school has unlawfully withheld his annual increment since 2023. Karanam argued that these actions are not only without legal authority but also violate his constitutional rights. The court, after hearing the petitioner’s grievances, directed the school to file its counter-affidavit within the stipulated time.