Cannot supply TB dam water to Karnataka, AP submits before HC

The Andhra Pradesh government submitted before the Karnataka High Court on Thursday that it could not supply water from Tungabhadra reservoir to the border districts of Karnataka in connection with a PIL filed by Karnataka Rashtriya Kissan Sangha and others over the issue.

The counsel for AP government stated before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna that it could not supply water to Pavagada and other taluks under the Neelakantapuram Srirami Reddy Water Project as the pipeline was very small and could supply water only to AP. He added that the AP government had borrowed a `582-crore loan from HUDCO and the project supplied water to 36.46 lakh people in 874 villages. “The groundwater table there is very low as the Pennar and the Chitravathi have dried up,” he said, adding that AP might provide land for the project.

The Karnataka counsel said a letter from the CM to the AP government in this regard did not elicit any response. Directing Karnataka to negotiate the issue with AP, the Bench directed Tumkur Urban Development Authority to file an affidavit, before adjourning the matter.

Dandupalya villagers’ plea dismissed

The HC on Thursday gave the green signal for the release of Kannada film Dandupalya, while dismissing an appeal contesting its title. The petitioners, residents of Dandupalya village, had contended that they were already beset with many problems due to the bad reputation created by a gang that lived here once. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna remarked: “Did you wake up one day before the movie’s release?” The Bench later dismissed it.

Dam evacuees get relief

The HC on Thursday ordered the state government to allot land to 112 families displaced due to the construction of Hemavathi Reservoir in Hassan district, in three months.

A Division Bench of Justices K L Manjunath and Suri Appa Rao, which heard the petition filed by one Siddegowda and others, who had contended that the government had on June 6, 1971, allocated 509 acres in Belli Bettada Kaval village in 1972 to be allocated to the evacuees, passed the order.

HC directive on job reservation

The HC on Thursday directed the state government to file a report on jobs that could be provided to physically-challenged in various departments within a month.

Hearing a petition filed by National Federation for Blind, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna said should the government fail to do so, it might direct the state to provide jobs based on Centre’s directions.

Stay vacated on Sathyananda

The HC on Thursday vacated the stay given by a lower court on Sathyananda, a movie said to be based on Nithyananda’s life.

Justice H G Ramesh directed movie’s producer Madan Patel, who had filed the petition, and Nithyananda to resolve the problem before the Film Censor Board.

He ordered the Board to resolve any problem if the godman objected to it. Nithyananda had filed a defamation petition.