HC blocks all bills of MSR Constructions
A bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned not to settle any bills put forth by MSR Constructions with regard to 22 contract works, till the next date of hearing.
Questioning the authorities how they could allot 22 works to a single contractor, the court issued notices to the Principal Secretaries of the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department, R&B, Forest, the Chief Conservator of Forests, the State government, the Bhadradri Kothaguem district Collector and MSR Constructions, directing them to file counters by July 25, 2023.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by one Thummalapalli Rambabu, a social worker, seeking to declare the failure of the respondents to take any action against the illegal allotment of 22 contract works to the MSR Constructions, represented by its managing director Mogili Srinivasa Reddy. The PIL said that the contractor was illegally constructing bridges and laying roads in the forest and tribal area of the Bhadradri Kothagudem district, as he had been granted permission to carry out only one work and has no clearance from the Forest department for the remaining works. The petitioner also alleged a major scam in the ongoing works, with the connivance of high-ranking officials of various departments.
PIL on Group-1 Prelims tagged to pending writs
Refusing to intervene in the Group-1 Preliminary examinations scheduled for June 11, Justice P Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the Registry to tag the writ petition to the pending writs seeking a CBI probe in the TSPSC question paper leak case. The judge was hearing a petition filed by S Muralidhar Reddy of Rangareddy district urging the court to declare as illegal the TSPSC’s decision to hold a fresh Group-1 Preliminary examination on June 11 when its credibility was in ruins. The petitioner also sought a direction from the Additional Director, CBI, to conduct an investigation in light of the “large-scale scam that is clear from the investigation already conducted by SIT and ED”.
Notice on encroachments at Masab Cheruvu issued
A Division bench of Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji directed the authorities concerned to ensure that no further constructions and unauthorised encroachments fall within the full tank level (FTL) and buffer zone of Masab Cheruvu at Turkayamjal village in Abdullapurmet mandal of Rangareddy district.
The Court issued notices to the State of Telangana, represented by its Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Irrigation), Principal Secretary (Revenue), the District Collector, Ranga Reddy District, GHMC, HMDA, and other authorities concerned, to file their counters by the next date of hearing. D Kishan, a social worker, filed a PIL requesting that the respondents remove all unlawful and unauthorised encroachments within the FTL and buffer zones of Masab Cheruvu. Petitioner urged the court to give directions to restore the FTL lands and to form a development committee at Masab Cheruvu.