Hyderabad: Justice T Vinod Kumar of the Telangana High Court has ordered the state government to take disciplinary action against revenue officials involved in the land acquisition process for the Shivanna Gudem balancing reservoir in Khudabakshpally village, Nalgonda district.
This directive came after a villager, Ralla Srinivasa Chary, sought compensation for his land, which was being acquired for the project.
Judge concerned over ‘collusion’ between authorities
The judge expressed concern over the apparent collusion between authorities, stating that their actions indicated they were “hand in glove” with one another.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that Chary had constructed the land with permission from local authorities even after the government issued an acquisition notification.
Justice Kumar criticized this decision, questioning how construction could be approved when such notifications prohibit any transactions on the affected land parcels.
He instructed the state to provide an affidavit detailing actions taken against the negligent officials and scheduled a follow-up hearing in three weeks.
Chary’s counsel argued for fair compensation and transparency in the acquisition process, emphasizing that they were not opposed to the acquisition itself but were seeking adequate compensation.
The state counsel countered by stating that Chary had initiated construction after the acquisition notification and was now contesting it in court.
Justice Kumar also pointed out that there was no stay on construction activities and pressed the state counsel on why no action had been taken against the errant officials.
Ultimately, he directed the state to inform the court about any proceedings against these officials while clarifying that Chary could not claim compensation under these circumstances.
