VIJAYAWADA: Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Andhra Pradesh High Court challenging the State government’s alleged allotment of government land to private companies and real estate developers at a nominal price of 99 paise per acre.
Gurumoorthy alleged that large tracts of valuable government land are being allotted to private entities without transparency or public auction, resulting in significant loss to the State exchequer.
He argued that allotting land without an open auction or tender process is unconstitutional and violates principles of transparency and fairness.
The MP contended that the government’s actions violate the “Public Trust Doctrine”, under which the State must act as a trustee of public assets. Instead, he alleged, the government is arbitrarily transferring public land to private companies. Gurumoorthy urged the High Court to issue clear guidelines for future land allotments to ensure transparency and accountability. He requested the court to direct the government to allocate land only through open auctions or tender processes.
He suggested that government land should not be permanently transferred but allotted on a lease basis, with allocations linked to the progress of proposed projects. The petition stated that projects in environmentally sensitive areas must undergo mandatory environmental and social impact assessments. It also sought penalties or repossession of land if companies fail to fulfil investment or employment commitments made during allotment. Gurumoorthy requested the HC to direct authorities to make public all details related to land allotments. He urged HC to cancel allotments made under GOs 9, 10, 32 and 65. The petition named the State Chief Secretary, APIIC vice-chairman and MD, and others.