Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday asked the State Government to file its response on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a waiver of electricity bills for the lockdown period.
The PIL, filed by Hyderabad Congress Committee Minorities Dept chairman Sameer Waliullah, came up for hearing before the bench headed by Chief Justice R.S. Chauhan. The petitioner, Sameer Waliullah, through his counsel Rafi Kaleem, requested the High Court to direct the State Government not to collect the electricity bills for the lockdown period.
The High Court issued notices to the State Government seeking its reply and adjourned the matter till next hearing. The date for next hearing will be conveyed later, informed Advocate Rafi Kaleem.
Reacting to the development, Sameer Waliullah said that the High Court issuing notice to the State Government was a welcome sign. He said despite a lot of hue and cry and severe criticism from all quarters of the society, the State Government remained inert to the sufferings of common people. He said that the State Government should’ve voluntarily announced waiver of electricity bills for the lockdown period, especially for the domestic consumers. Instead, he said people were burdened with inflated and erroneous bills. He said it was highly unfortunate that Energy Minister Jagadish Reddy justified the inflated bills and did not respond to thousands of objections raised by the people.
Sameer Waliullah said that Minister K. Tarakarama Rao had given an assurance on June 7 through Twitter that he was in receipt of several complaints on the issue of electricity bills in last couple of days and he would take up the matter with Energy Minister and his team of officials at the Discoms. However, he said Minister KTR did nothing on the issue. Since people got no relief from the State Government, he said he had approached the High Court seeking justice and relief.
SOURCE: YTN STAFF
