HYDERABAD: The Telangana HC on Friday issued notice to fisheries dept special chief secretary Adhar Sinha, giving him time till July 15 to explain why he should not be punished for contempt for delay in deciding whether Mudiraj caste can be considered as fishing community despite a court order.
Justice Shameem Akther gave the direction while hearing a contempt petition filed by Dr Ravula Jagadeeswar Prasad, vice president of Telangana State Mudiraj Maha Sabha, who wanted the fisheries secretary to be punished for his inaction.
According to the petitioner, an order was issued by the composite state of Andhra Pradesh in 1964 through GO MS No. 98 listing various communities with fishing as main source of living, which included Mutrasi and Tenugollu castes.
Subsequently, after agitations by the community, the state fisheries commissioner sent a recommendation to the government in November 2019 to include Mudiraj too in the category of castes with fishing as main occupation.
Petitioner’s counsel DL Pandu pointed out that Mudiraj, Mutrasi,and Tenugollu castes are fishermen communities and, hence, eligible to derive benefits such as membership in fishermen cooperative societies. As there was no action from the state for long, a petition was filed in the high court, which in March ordered Sinha to decide on the issue in two months. With nothing being, a contempt plea was filed against him.
