The Telangana High Court has ordered an interim stay on collecting parking fees from patients and their attendants at the Government District Hospital in Khammam, placing the hospital’s parking arrangements under judicial scrutiny.
Justice B Vijaysen Reddy issued the order while hearing a petition filed by Timmana Naveen Raju and Wazeed Mohmmad, residents of Khammam town. The court also directed the municipal administration and urban development department, the director of medical education, the Khammam collector and the hospital superintendent to file their counters.
The case has been adjourned to November 12 for further hearing. Until then, the interim order prevents the collection of parking fees from patients and attendants at the government hospital, according to the report on the proceedings.
The petitioners’ counsel, Ambedkar Dunna, argued that authorities at the district hospital were collecting parking charges from people using vehicles on the hospital premises. He described the collection as illegal and arbitrary and told the court that it was contrary to applicable rules.
The petitioners also alleged that the charges exceeded limits set under municipal rules and referred to provisions of the Telangana Apartments Act, 1987, and the Telangana Municipalities Act. Their arguments further cited a government order issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department in February 2018 on the collection of parking fees.
The petitioners’ counsel argued that the collection was also inconsistent with the constitutional right to health. The court’s direction now requires the departments and officials named in the case to respond before the next hearing, making the legal basis and administrative authorisation for the charges central issues in the proceedings.
Parking at public hospitals sits at the intersection of access, municipal regulation and the operating arrangements of public institutions. In this case, the dispute is not limited to a private parking facility: it concerns charges collected from patients and attendants at a government district hospital, where people may already be visiting for medical treatment or to support patients.
The interim stay does not resolve the petitioners’ allegations or determine whether the earlier fee collection was lawful. Those questions remain before the court. The next recorded milestone is the November 12 hearing, when the responses from the concerned departments and hospital authorities are expected to be considered.
