HC issues notices to Siddipet Collector

Notices also issued to Gajwel Revenue Divisional Officer and Kondapaka Tahsildar

Telangana High Court on Wednesday instructed Siddipet district Collector and other Revenue officials concerned to file detailed counter affidavits in a writ appeal over some persons “voluntarily relinquishing rights over lands assigned to them by State government”.

A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, passing the direction, issued notices to Gajwel Revenue Divisional Officer and Kondapaka Tahsildar along with Siddipet district Collector. The notices were issued in a writ appeal filed by four farmers of Duddeda village of Kondapaka mandal in Siddipet district.

They challenged a single judge order dismissing their writ petition in which they questioned the alleged action of government taking over their assigned lands and allotting the same to one Yapral Narsimha Reddy and others.

According to them, the government took over their lands and allotted them to Mr. Reddy and others on whose lands the government had constructed double bedroom houses for the poor. The farmers moved the HC stating that the authorities were interfering with the possession of their lands and sought an order restraining them from doing so. After hearing contentions of the counsels of the petitioners and the government, the single judgement dismissed the petition.

He held that the officials followed due procedure in resuming the lands of the farmers. The action of the authorities did not suffer from any illegality, infirmity or irregularity, the single judge said.

In the writ appeal, the petitioners’ counsel argued that lands of the farmers were taken over without issuing any notices to them and hence it was illegal. When the bench sought to know to whom the lands of the petitioners were allotted, the government counsel replied the petitioners voluntarily relinquished the lands which were eventually exchanged for lands where double bedroom houses were constructed.

The bench wondered how the poor farmers voluntarily gave up rights over their assigned lands.

Chief Justice Hima Kohli wanted to know if the government paid any compensation to the farmers whose lands were acquired. Were they provided any alternative lands, the bench asked the government counsel.

The matter was posted to June 3 for next hearing.

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