HYDERABAD: In a setback to the state government, the High Court on Friday stayed operation of GO Ms No.45 dated July 22, 2015 on acquisition of lands through private negotiations for allotting those lands to certain industrial blocks like Green Pharmacity in Ranga Reddy district, NIMZ in Medak and solar power projects in Mahbubnagar district.
Justice MS Ramachandra Rao passed the interim order on a writ petition filed by Begari Venkataiah and eight other poor farmers of Kurmidda village in Yacharam mandal in Ranga Reddy district who had been given assigned lands by the government in the past.
As petitioners’ counsel NS Arjun Kumar put it, the authorities are now resorting to forcible resumption of the land of poor farmers without following due process of lawand bypassing the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 that provided greater benefits to land losers. If the government wanted the lands of the petitioners then, it should acquire the lands under Land Acquisition Act 2013 and not otherwise, he said.
The judge directed the authorities not to pressurise and disturb the possession and continued agricultural activity of the petitioners pending disposal of the writ petition.
On an earlier occasion, the High Court had stayed the notice issued by the tahsildar of Kandukur mandal seeking to resume 483 acres of land in Meerkhanpet village for the same Green Pharmacity project.