Hyderabad, December 17: A division bench of the AP High Court comprising chief justice Nissar Ahmad Kakru and justice Vilas Afzalpurkar on Thursday sent clear signals against filing of misconceived public interest petitions.
The bench imposed costs of Rs 1 lakh – an unprecedented amount in the High Court, while dismissing a writ petition filed by Chandrasekhar Reddy, a practising Supreme Court lawyer. The petitioner filed the petition on the function of justice C V Nagarjuna Reddy after the judge submitted his resignation during the recent agitation by Telangana lawyers. The bench wondered how the petitioner felt that this matter was in public interest.
The amount was directed to be credited to the Legal Services Authority.
HC refuses to stay Bayyaram lease cancellation
Justice R Subash Reddy of the AP High Court on Thursday refused to stay an order of the state government cancelling its earlier orders reserving four mandals for exploitation of iron ore in favour of the AP Mineral Development Corporation. The judge ordered notice in the writ petition filed by Rakshana Steels Limited challenging GO 126. The order of the state government made on December 9 cancelled an earlier GO reserving four mandals exclusively for the APMDC and enabling it to exploit iron ore in the region. The judge, however, made clear that no third party interests be created.
Food allowance for Gandhi doctors upped
Justice Nooty Rammohan Rao of the AP High Court on Thursday directed the director, medical education and Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital to up the food allowance for duty doctors from Rs. 40 to Rs. 100. The ‘sorry state of affairs’ in the Gandhi Hospital came for ‘serious concern’ in a writ petition filed by JUDA – the organisation of junior doctors, complaining of inaction by the state government in inviting tenders to ensure proper supply of food for patients and doctors in the 1,300-bedded Gandhi Hospital in the city. The petitioner complained that the canteen was being run by a single contractor for the last 28 years. Narayan Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, not only pointed out the unhygienic conditions and the poor quality of food supplied but also the flip flop by the hospital superintendent Dr. Ashok Kumar.
The counsel pointed out how on December 3 the superintendent of the hospital had filed a counter affidavit stating that there were no complaints about the quality of food. He, however, made a U turn in an additional counter today enlisting numerous complaints against the contractor. In his order, Rammohan Rao pointed out that it was impossible for the contractor to supply breakfast, lunch and dinner for a paltry sum of Rs. 40 in the context of spiralling prices. He directed an immediate increase of food allowance to duty doctors to Rs. 100. The court also directed the authorities concerned to submit a report on the quality of food supplied by Friday next.
—Agencies