Bangalore : The High Court of Karnataka on Monday gave the green signal to the State government to hold elections to the posts of president and vice-president in zilla panchayats (ZP).

Justice L. Narayanaswamy passed the interim order by vacating an earlier stay order against holding meetings of various ZPs for the purpose of electing presidents and vice-presidents. The court vacated the stay after hearing arguments on behalf of the State government. Members of ZPs across the State had approached the court questioning the reservation of these posts to various categories, while alleging that the government had failed to follow the norms of rotation while fixing reservation. Further hearing was adjourned.

On litigation related to fixation of sugarcane price, the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and H.G. Ramesh, directed the State not to forfeit the sugar stocked at factories or initiate criminal prosecution against them till a single judge decided on the State’s power to fix price for sugarcane other than the fair and remunerative price fixed by the Centre. The Bench asked the single judge to dispose of the pleas at the earliest. The State had challenged the May 22 interim order of the single judge, which had stayed notices issued by the government to sugar factories warning them of penal action if they failed to pay Rs. 2,500 for a tonne of sugarcane to growers. The contention of the factories was that they could not be compelled to pay more than Rs. 2,100, the price 

The court asked Bannur K. Raju, a writer from Mysore, to file an affidavit to establish his allegations that persons from the political field were nominated to the Legislative Council, instead of those “having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, cooperative movement and social service as per Article 171(5) of the Constitution.” The court issued this direction while hearing Mr. Raju’s PIL petition, where he questioned the nomination process.