HC allows APIEB to operate bank account

The high court bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B Bhosale and Justice S V Bhatt has passed interim orders on Thursday allowing the Andhra Pradesh state Board of Intermediate education (APIEB) to operate the joint bank account in the SBI at MJ Market branch. The APIEB approached the high court after the SBI freezed its account following a letter received from the Board of Intermediate education of Telangana (TIEB).

TIEB asked the SBI to freeze the joint bank account, based on the high court verdict given on Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Council (APHEC). The high court allows the Telangana government to claim ownership on the AP State Higher Education Council with reference to the AP Re-organization Act. Probably, it’s verdict gives a wrong message to the Telangana statement government which believes that it can apply the same yard stick to all the institutions and boards in Hyderabad. So it asked the SBI to freeze the joint account of APIEB few months ago.

The high court pulled on the TIEB for passing such orders taking advantage of its earlier verdict. It allows the APIEB to operate the bank account but asked it not to touch the funds left in the account at the time of its freezer. AP Advocate general Venugopal argued that AP and Telangana Boards have mutually agreed to share the assets and liabilities some time ago. Then only the APIEB has opened a separate bank account at Vijayawada to enable further transactions.

But, the Telangana advocate General Ramakrishna Reddy argues that APIEB has opened bank account at Vijayawada even before bifurcation of the state eyeing to transfer the funds from the joint account. So, TIBE has asked the SBI to freeze the joint account to prevent the AP taking away the funds by the APIEB.

However, high court bench strongly criticized the TIEB and SBI officials for freezing the joint bank account without taking consent from APIEB. High court posts this case to September 10th for further hearing and directed the bench to file implead petition in this case and also a counter affidavit before next hearing.