The state government on Monday told the AP High Court that no crop has been affected by paucity of water in Krishna Delta till date this season. Submitting a status report of Kharif crops in the state, especially crops in the Delta region, advocate-general A. Sudarshan Reddy said enough water was available in the Prakasam Barrage to take care of the crops in Krishna Delta for two weeks.

A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice P.C. Ghose and Justice Vilas V. Afzulpurkar was dealing with a PIL filed by MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Mir Hasan Ali Khan of Hyderabad city and others. The petitioners sought the court's direction to the government not to release water from Nagarjunasagar without catering to the city's drinking water needs and fluoride-affected villages of Nalgonda district.

In August, the Bench directed the government not to release water downstream from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar if the water level falls below 834 feet and 510 feet, respectively. Referring to the orders, Mr Sudarshan Reddy said the government maintains water level at the reservoirs as directed by the court. At present, he said, the water level at Nagarjunasagar is above 510 feet, while the level at Srisailam is high enough to start power generation.

Notices to Tribal welfare, DGP
The AP High Court on Monday issued notices to the DGP and tribal welfare commissioner on a petition by the Indian Child Welfare Forum seeking the intervention of the court in protecting innocent tribal boys and girls from exploitation. The taken up petition said activists of revolutionary organisations were compelling them to join Left-wing extremist parties. The court granted two weeks’ to the respondents to file their affidavits.

HC seeks report on Congress MLA
The AP High Court on Monday directed the vigilance department to furnish a report on the inquiry conducted on Congress legislator U.V. Ramanamurthy Raju. The court was dealing with a petition by 17 MPTC members of the district, seeking a probe by the CBI and I-T authorities, into alleged illegal acquisition of properties worth thousands of cror-es of rupees by the MLA. They said that Mr Raju amassed wealth by diverting funds sanctioned to the weaker sections, which was proved by the inquiry. The petitioners alleged that the MLA had purchased lands in the surrounding areas of Visak-hapatnam, obtaining GPA from poor and illiterate farmers. Likewise, he acquired hundreds of acres by misusing his position, they said. They also alleged that no action was being taken by the government though there was a vigilance report.

Baba Trust: HC seeks more info
A Division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice P.C. Ghose and Justice Vilas Afzulpu-rkar, on Monday directed K. Ramesh, a petitioner seeking a CBI probe into the affairs of the Sathya Sai Seva Trust, to inform the court whether the trust had ever been under the jurisdiction of any government department. Ramesh, a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba, sought a direction to have the CBI investigate the alleged irregularities committed by members of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Central Trust and also into the cause of the demise of the godman at Puttaparthi in April 2011.

The Bench asked the petitioner to explain whether the trust was registered and within the jurisdiction of the endowments department and whether the government had ever examined these affairs earlier. The Bench granted a week to respond its queries.

Civic chief jailed for contempt
Justice Ramesh Rangan-athan on Monday sentenced Kadapa Municipal Corporation commissioner Samson Babu to two weeks’ simple imprisonment in a contempt case. While allowing the contempt case by V. Nagamuni Reddy, a resident of Kadapa, the judge did not appreciate the manner in which the officer had violated the orders of the court and then went about trying to justify the action. The petitioner said that the Corporation demolished his compound wall, based on a complaint, but no inquiry was conducted to ascertain whether the compound wall was or not within the road margins. The sentence was suspended for a month.

State gets notice on road mishaps
The High Court on Monday issued notices to the state government on a plea seeking directions that it set up a high level regulatory agency to minimise road accidents. The Bench was dealing with the plea by one Padmaja, representing the Forum for Better Living.