HC orders status quo on Ameerpet land case

HYDERABAD: A division bench of the High court comprising justice VVS Rao and justice KG Shanker on Friday directed the authorities to maintain status quo with the Ameerpet lands which had, in a way, delayed the appointment of K.Rosiah as governor.The lands in Ameerpet were acquired under the Land Acquisition Act.The government of Rosaiah took a decision later to return the land to its original owners by de-notifying the land.Practising lawyer P Krishna Reddy complained that once the land was vested with the government it could not go back to the original owners.It was also argued that a similar request had been shot down in the past and therefore it was against public interest to return such prime land in the city to its original owners.A compensation to the tune of Rs 70 lakh was also deposited way back in 1997.The lack of bonafides in effecting the retransfer made the order illegal, the petitioner said.Plea against Special Officers for Gram PanchayatsJustice Naushad Ali posted to September 6 a batch of petitions questioning the action of the government in requiring the appointment of officials as special officers to gram panchayats.The writ petitions follow the decision of the government directing the district collectors to appoint officers in place of the elected committees whose elected term to office had expired.They contend that the law provides for appointing the elected body till the elections are held and there is no reason to take the said option or the option which provides for any local person from the village to be appointed. It was also contended that the delegation was defeated by issuing a set of directions to the collector.After hearing the parties the judge posted the matter to September 6.Plea on Dalit woman’s burial dismissedA division bench comprising Justice G. Raghuram and Justice N.Ravishanker dismissed as infructuous a writ petition on the controversy about the burial of a Dalit woman, Koraganti Koteswaramma.The bench refused to deal with any of the legal issues in view of the fact that the order of the single judge had worked itself and the burial was over on Thursday.The court was told that the feud was about Malas opposing the funeral procession of the deceased who belonged to the Madiga community.A single judge had directed the local police to ensure police protection to ensure the procession went through the nearest route to the burial ground.