Despite Telangana HC direction, construction works continue at Mallanna Sagar

A few oustees had approached the High Court stating that they lost employment due to the project and also requested the Court to direct the officials to provide fair compensation and rehabilitation.
Construction works continue at the Mallanna Sagar site on Saturday, in spite of  High Court directions to stop the works till August 30 | Express
Construction works continue at the Mallanna Sagar site on Saturday, in spite of High Court directions to stop the works till August 30 | Express

SIDDIPET: In spite of the High Court directions to stop the Mallanna Sagar works for one week, till August 30, 2019, in the villages of Thogutta, Yetigadda Kistapur, Pallepahad and Vemulaghat, the officials concerned continued with the works as usual on Saturday.

A few oustees had approached the High Court stating that they lost employment due to the project and also requested the Court to direct the officials to provide fair compensation and rehabilitation. The case came to hearing before the Court on Friday.

After hearing the case, expressing displeasure with the inaction of the authorities concerned regarding completion of door to door socio-economic survey in Thogutta and other villages in Siddipet district, the Green bench of Telangana High Court on Friday directed the State government to stop works for one week, till next hearing, in the villages of Thogutta, Yetigadda Kistapur, Pallepahad and Vemulaghat relating to Mallanna Sagar reservoir which was part of mammoth Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.

Even though the news relating to the orders had surfaced in print and electronic media, the officials continued the works at the project site as if not at all bothered about the court directions. 

Contractors from these four villages also confirmed that they continued the works on Saturday. The oustees have now come up demanding the officials to halt all the works, as per HC directions, till further hearing. 

K Kanakaiah, an oustee said that the contractors carried on with the work for much time and after an argument broke out between the villagers and the contractors and some tension prevailed, they were forced to suspend the works later.

He also alleged that the officials concerned and the contractors are behaving as if they do not care about the lives of the people or the court orders. Farmers from Yetigadda Kistapur and Vemulaghat villages also said that the works continued in their villages as well.

Mohammad Hayat Uddin from Vemulaghat said that some oustees in Vemulaghat village went to the site and questioned the contractors why they are continuing with the works in spite of court orders, for which the authorities said that they have not yet received any court orders. They also assured to stop the works once they receive the orders. 

Even though Express tried to contact the Thogutta tehsildar over the phone, the official was unavailable to answer to our questions.

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