HC asks whether govt. is planning to revoke GO 111

‘Precious time of the court would be wasted if contentions pertaining to the GO are heard if the government eventually decides to revoke the GO’

Telangana High Court on Tuesday sought to know from the State government if it had any plans to revoke GO 111 which was issued in 1996 prohibiting erection of high-rise structures in the catchment areas of Himayathsagar and Osmansagar. A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy instructed Additional Advocate General J. Ramchander Rao to clarify with the government if the latter contemplated revoking of the GO. During the hearing of a couple of writ petitions and a PIL plea on matters relating to GO 111, Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy cited a Telugu daily report which said the Chief Minister reportedly mooted the proposal of revoking the said GO. Though the judge could not specify the exact date of the report published, the CJ observed it was better to ascertain if the State government had any such plans since the HC was hearing pleas related to the same matter. The bench hinted that the precious time of the court would be wasted if contentions pertaining to the GO were heard if the government eventually decides to revoke the GO. AAG J. Ramchander Rao said he was not sure of the veracity of the report but would secure a specific clarification from the Chief Minister on the matter by Wednesday. The said news item appeared in Telugu daily Namasthe Telangana, Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy said. The bench wanted senior officers from the State government and HMDA to be present for the virtual proceedings on Wednesday to assist the court in adjudication of the matters.