Land GO puts TS in trouble

HYDERABAD:  The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the state government to ascertain the market value of land parcels allotted to the Velama and Kamma communities, through GO 47, at Khanamet in the city limits.

The division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar was adjudicating a PIL filed by A. Vinayak Reddy, retired economics professor of Kakatiya University in Warangal, questioning the allotment of five acres each to the two communities for constructing their ‘bhavans’, without consideration.

The land under question is located in Khanamet of Serilingampally, Rangareddy district.

On June 28, the High Court issued stay orders, directing the All India Velama Association and Kamma Vari Seva Sanghalu to stop construction work and maintain the status quo until further orders.

On Monday, Advocate General (AG) B.S. Prasad informed the court that the allotment was not done free of cost and citing GO 571, dated September 14, 2012, which applied to the communities. As per the GO, land can be allocated at market value which is ascertained through prescribed procedures.

On the AG’s submission, the court agreed to proceed, directing the AG to first ascertain the market value as per GO 571 and submit a report on how market value was ascertained, to the court and the petitioner.

The court said that based on the report, it would decide on the land allotment.

The court was also not inclined to vacate the stay orders or status quo orders to proceed with construction works, with Chief Justice Aradhe observing that the allocation of government land should not violate Article 14 of the Constitution.

When counsel for the petitioner objected and requested for the allotments to be set aside, the bench suggested that he wait till the government submitted its report.