Sounding a note of caution, about the adverse impact of underwater sand mining, Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur asked the advocate-general to seriously reconsider its policy on allowing it. The Chief Justice was hearing a batch of writ petitions on sand mining along with Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar. The High Court had put a ban on sand mining across the state with effect from April 1 and the state government had filed an appeal, urging the court to lift the ban.

Earlier, the Bench issued notices to the authorities in another Public Interest Litigation, challenging the inaction in curbing illegal mining in the Tungabhadra river. S. Niranjan Reddy, arguing on behalf of Purushotham Reddy and Sai Bhaskar Reddy, city environmentalists, contended that in the absence of an Environment Impact Assessment the sand quarrying should not be done.

CJ: Act against pre-natal tests
The Andra Pradesh High Court on Monday took serious view of the alleged violation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 by some prominent hospitals in the state. The court ordered the state government to take stringent steps against such violations.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice P. V. Sanjay Kumar, took up the matter based on a letter from a resident of the city, Amrita Ritu Ahluwalia, seeking its intervention to prevent violation of the Act.

Referring to the pre-natal tests, the Bench said that Andhra Pradesh occupied 8th place in violation of the Act. While making it clear that the court wanted to deal with the matter seriously, the Bench asked the government to assist the court in the case. The court issued notices to the Centre and the state government directing them to file their counter affidavits within two weeks.

State’s casual approach rapped
The High Court expressed displeasure at the attitude of the state government in not appointing a chairperson to the State Minorities Commission. The court, after perusing the file submitted before it pertaining to the appointment, said that the government did not seem to be very serious about the case. The case was adjourned after the court expressed the hope that the government will act on the issue expeditiously.

Notices on RainWater pits
The rainwater harvesting pits in most of the urban areas of the country have been a disappointment, said the High Court on Monday while issuing notices to the state government and Hyderabad Metro Water and Sewerage Board on a plea on rainwater harvesting structures. Forum for Good Gover-nance had filed the plea seeking a direction to the authorities for not taking up work of construction of the pits in spite of collecting huge amounts of money as charges towards RWHS.

IMG Bharata hearing shifted
A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar, on Monday recused from hearing two petitions, one seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into IMG Bharata land deal and another, a plea pertaining to seeking a direction to strike down the permission granted by the Kiran Kumar Reddy government to three companies for export of red sanders. Former minister P. Shankar Rao had filed the plea against the government and a practising advocate of the city T. Sriranga Rao filed the writ against IMG Bharata land deal. The Bench directed the registry to post the case before another Bench.

Veda Patashala report sought
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the Chittoor district child welfare board to visit the Veda Patashala run by the TTD at Tirumala and submit a report on facilities available to the students at the school.

Tribals move HC on land deal
The High Court on Monday admitted a plea challenging the alienation of 600 acres in the Scheduled Area to ITC Bhadrachalam. Two tribal welfare associations had filed a writ petition contending that the state government has no power to alienate the land in scheduled areas in favour of a company. The petitioners told the court that the land was granted to the company in 1973 and 1997.