Date:27/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/27/stories/2005042703170800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Order set aside to revive Somasekhara panel

Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set aside the order of the State Government reviving the Justice B.K. Somasekhara Commission which had been set up to probe the alleged scam in payments to the land losers in Yeleru project.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice Meenakumari and Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, allowed a batch of writ petitions. It may be recalled that there were allegations that money which was to be paid as compensation to the farmers who lost their lands, acquired by the Government for Yeleru project, had been jacked up. There were allegations that the judicial process and revenue records were manipulated and some middlemen swindled away the money in the name of farmers.

When a writ petition was filed in the High Court seeking a CBI inquiry the then State Government informed the court that it was setting up an inquiry commission headed by a sitting High Court Judge.

After consulting the Chief Justice the then Government headed by the Telugu Desam Party appointed the B.K.Somasekhara Commission.

Pothinaidu, advocate from Visakhapatnam district, who was accused of playing a major role in this, and others filed a writ petition, and the GO appointing the commission was quashed. One of the Congress leaders went to the Supreme Court which delivered the Judgement in July 2001 setting aside the order of the High Court and made it clear that the Government had to take decision in this regard. G.O.544 and GO 553 were issued in August 2001 declaring that the Government had formed the opinion that the continuation of this commission was unnecessary.

It was declared that the Commission deemed to have `ceased' to exist from December 1999.