Telangana High Court on Thursday imposed costs of ₹ 10,000 each on GHMC Commissioner and Principal Secretary of Medical and Health for the inordinate delay in filing counter affidavits in two separate matters.
A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy said the costs should be deposited in the accounts of the advocates welfare fund. HMT Nagar Welfare Society, represented by G. Kishan, filed a PIL petition in 2011 questioning the laying of road within Full Tank Level of Nacharam Peddacheruvu. The authorities decided to remove the walkers path and lay a road there.
When the matter came up for hearing, the GHMC counsel sought time to file counter affidavit. In another matter, four persons filed a writ petition in 2019 questioning amendment of the service rules of AP Medical Education. The amended rules mandated that only head nurses were eligible for dietician posts. Despite several adjournments earlier, the Medical and Health principal secretary failed to file counter affidavit.
Taking a serious note of the officials not filing the counter affidavits, the bench imposed costs on them. The matters were posted to September 9 for next hearing.
