Collectors not applying mind to solve revenue cases: Telangana High Court

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court was incensed by the conduct of district and additional collectors in the state, especially those holding chairs of special tribunals constituted to dispose of cases pending in revenue courts.

Stunned that hundreds of cases are being filed in the High Court, challenging the special tribunal directions, Justice Ponugoti Naveen Rao said that it seemed like the collectors, despite holding constitutional posts, were not applying their minds in disposing of revenue cases, even after the Court ordered following the principles of natural justice.

Justice Rao issued show-cause notices to district collectors of Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and some members of special tribunals (revenue courts) asking why they should be slapped with contempt charges for disobeying the High Court orders in WP(PIL) 20/2021. This had directed all special tribunals in the State to pass fresh orders in revenue cases, after granting reasonable opportunities to the parties, whenever a request for personal hearing was received.

The Court was also furious with collectors from Nalgonda and Karimnagar districts, for issuing similar orders in all cases. In some cases, the collectors urged the parties to go to civil courts.

Justice Rao opined that the government should look into this issue, otherwise thousands of cases challenging the special tribunal orders will be piled at the High Court.

It is to be noted that around 16,000 pending revenue cases were transferred to special tribunals, in which district collector and additional collectors are members, disposed of all 16,000 cases on a single count, without giving an opportunity to the parties. 

This was challenged in WP 20/2021 in the High Court. The court directed the tribunals to follow the principles of natural justice.