Fill public prosecutors posts: Telangana High Court

Hyderabad: A two-Judge panel of the Telangana High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar expressed its displeasure at the State government for not appointing additional public prosecutors through direct recruitment. The panel was dealing with a petition filed for an extension of time in a Public Interest Litigation […]

Hyderabad: A two-Judge panel of the Telangana High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar expressed its displeasure at the State government for not appointing additional public prosecutors through direct recruitment. The panel was dealing with a petition filed for an extension of time in a Public Interest Litigation entertained suo moto based on a letter written to the court.

The panel said that lack of additional public prosecutors is hampering the disposal of cases in the criminal courts across the State and one public prosecutor is managing various courts. It may be recalled that 174 posts of additional public prosecutors are lying vacant for long.

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The panel was of the view that the State is very slow in functioning and no serious actions are being undertaken. The State informed the court that it entered into an agreement with JNTU for the preparation of question paper and evaluation and the same will be done expeditiously. The panel directed the State to complete the recruitment process by October 31.

Provide insurance to tenant farmers

The same panel also questioned the government on how there cannot be any crop loss in the State of Telangana. The panel pointed out that Advocate General’s remarks stating, crop loss has been nullified by using advanced technology, is contradictory to that State government’s application to the Central government seeking funds for crop damage.

The panel also pointed out that tenant farmers were also affected by the floods. However, they are neither compensated nor covered under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme. It also made it clear that the Rythu Bandhu Scheme is not a compensatory measure for floods. The panel was dealing with a PIL filed by Vissa Kiran Kumar questioning the failure of the State government to enumerate and assess the extensive crop damage that occurred across the State due to incessant rains in September and October last year.

The government admitted that heavy rains lashed the State in September and October last year and there was crop damage. It, however, contend that later with the help of agriculture experts and by using the latest agriculture technology, crops were raised and there was no loss and the government doesn’t pay any compensation to the farmers. The panel then pointed out why the Chief Minister addressed an official letter to the Prime Minister requesting relief of Rs 1,350 crore. The petitioner also pointed out that the Centre formed a committee and submitted a report stating that there was crop loss.

The panel expressed concern about the tenant farmers and suggested that they should also be covered under the insurance schemes. Dissatisfied with the government for stating there was no crop loss, the panel directed the State government and Central government to place before it the application made by the State government for the relief fund. The panel posted the matter to September 15.

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