Andhra Pradesh: Plea against Kundu Penna Link Canal project dismissed

HYDERABAD: In a relief to Andhra Pradesh government, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court has recently dismissed a PIL challenging the decision of the AP Government to proceed with Kundu Penna Link Canal (KPLC)  project in Kadapa district. “We see no reason to entertain the case since it was filed more than four years after issuance of GO in 2014,” the bench noted.

The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K Vijaya Lakshmi was dismissing the PIL filed by Jayasree Kakumani from Kadapa seeking to declare the action of the authorities in not completely shelving KPLC scheme meant to take water from Nagarajupalli village in Peddamunian mandal to Peddasettipalli village, Prodattur mandal of the district, which was declared as a wasteful project by the high power technical committee of the irrigation department, as illegal. The petitioner sought directions to the authorities to complete the Rajoli scheme which was approved in 2008, in view of the decision of the irrigation department in 2012.

As per the records, the erstwhile AP government has accorded administrative approval, vide GO issued in 2008, for construction of two reservoirs in Kundu river at Joladarsi and Rajoli at an estimated cost of Rs 407.06 crore. Accordingly, works were taken up for KPLC scheme to take water from Nagarajupalli village to Peddasettipalli village.

Meanwhile, the committee of experts opined that the KPLC project was wasteful as part of the project was due for submergence under the Rajoli reservoir project and that the latter had sound economic justification and more cost effective solutions were available for supply of drinking water to Proddatur and recharging of ground water along Penna river bed. Thereafter, the state government issued GO in 2014 for construction of a pick up anicut and a head regulator across Kundu river, excavation of flood flow canal from Kundu river near Nagarajupalli village to Penna river near Peddasettipalle village, including construction of subsurface dams.

HC quashes contempt proceedings against official

Hyderabad: Pointing out that the criminal contempt proceedings initiated suo motu against the petitioners (an officer and an advocate) by the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal were in utter violation of prescribed procedure, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court has quashed the two contempt cases pending before the tribunal against Y Adinarayana Murthy, prohibition and excise superintendent, and his advocate.