HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court made it clear to the GHMC that it had to follow the procedure under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013 to acquire land, if the owner did not accept the offer made by the civic body for his property.
Justice Tadakamalla Vinod Kumar was dealing with a plea filed by one George Thomas, a resident of Anandbagh, Malkajgiri, who complained that the civic body was trying to dispossess him from his property without considering his objections.
The GHMC issued notices to Thomas to hand over his property at H. No. 24-124, Plot No. 6, Anandbagh, Malkajgiri, for the proposed junction development at Anandbagh crossroads. It offered some concessions to him for the property. However, Thomas had replied to the GHMC that he was not interested in availing the concessions extended by the authority. Without considering it, the civic body initiated proceedings to dispossess him. Aggrieved, Thomas approached the High Court.
The court directed that the civic body shall take steps to acquire the petitioner's land in accordance with the law by initiating proceedings under the Land Acquisition Act and paying compensation under its provisions. Till the time of the payment of compensation, the GHMC shall not dispossess the petitioner from the subject property, Justice Vinod Kumar directed.
