Telangana High Court summons Principal Secretary, Revenue

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili on Thursday directed the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department to appear before it on April 6, as the government had failed to pay ex-gratia to the kin of all those farmers who had committed suicide due to crop failure. The Bench was adjudicating the public interest litigation filed by Bannuru Kondala Reddy, a social activist from Siddipet, seeking a direction to the State government to pay ex gratia to the dependants of deceased farmers.

Petitioners counsel Vasudha Nagraj informed the court that though the State government had issued GO Ms 173 on September 22, 2015 sanctioning payment of Rs 6 lakh ex-gratia to each of the 13 families in Vikarabad district, 23 families in Yadadri-Bhongir district and four families in Peddapalli, Jangaon and Karimnagar districts, the ex gratia amount was yet to reach the beneficiaries.

Expressing serious concern over the delay in extending the ex gratia amount, the Chief Justice pointing towards the Government Pleader said, "People have died and they are no more and you still want people to suffer everyday... the Government has issued GO sanctioning the amount, still nothing has been done". He adjourned the matter to April 6, for next hearing.