Hyderabad: Telangana high court on Thursday disposed of a petition filed by BRS leader and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao seeking directions to implement the farm loan waiver scheme to farmers in his constituency.Justice Surepalli Nanda, hearing the petition, opined that writ of mandamus (judicial order) of high court cannot be invoked for such issues, concerning larger interest of the public and that they would have to be raised through a public interest litigation (PIL).The court also declined the request to convert the same petition into a PIL and observed that the petitioner could move a fresh PIL. At the petitioner’s counsel’s request to withdraw the petition and file a fresh PIL, court disposed of the petition as withdrawn.Harish Rao had filed the petition alleging that while there were over 43,000 farmers in his constituency spread over five mandals, the 2 lakh farm loan waiver was disbursed to around 20,000 farmers and over 22,000 were yet to receive the benefit.The chief minister announced that the benefit would be disbursed by Aug 15, 2024, but some farmers were yet to receive the benefit. As a result and, in view of the prolonged delay, he being the local MLA, farmers were repeatedly meeting him for the benefit. His counsel also informed the bench of court granting relief in similar petitions filed in the past.However, the state counsel opposed the petition saying that the petitioner could file a PIL taking up the cause of farmers in his constituency. “If this petition is allowed, every MLA will start filing petitions like this,” the counsel stated.The judge further advised the counsel to withdraw the petition instead of inviting any adverse order. Recording the petitioner’s counsel’s request for withdrawing, the judge disposed of the petition, granting liberty to the petitioner to file a PIL in the matter.Harish Rao claimed that in his constituency, the 2 lakh farm loan waiver was disbursed to 20,000 farmers, while over 22,000 were yet to receive the benefit
