HC issues NBW against ex-school education head

HYDERABAD: The AP High Court on Friday, speaking through two judges, voiced concern at the manner in which the state government and its officers were dealing with court orders and issued a non-bailable warrant against former school education director R Satyanarayana.
While dealing with a contempt case against officials of the education department, Justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy summoned the secretary of the department, despite being informed on Friday that the directives of the court were complied with.Earlier, Justice PV Sanjay Kumar had summoned the revenue commissioner and the Nellore collector in a revenue matter.
In the contempt case before Justice Reddy, a private college along with 22 others had filed a writ petition for the release of maintenance grants that were due to them and pending since 2004. In late June, the judge allowed the writ petition and directed the payment of the amount within three months. The failure of the bureaucracy in complying with the court's order led to the institutions filing the contempt case. The judge sought to know why the bureaucracy waited for citizens to move a contempt petition before obeying court orders. He voiced concern at the apparent disrespect to the court orders and then issued the NBW against the official.
In the contempt petition before Justice Sanjay Kumar, the tahsildar made changes in revenue records only after a number of opportunities were given, and stated that this was on the directions of her superiors in the revenue department. The judge pointed out that this was a reflection of the attitude of the officers. The permanent bureaucracy is less willing to respect court orders than even the political rulers, he observed as he adjourned the case to Monday.