HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday made it clear that construction of the Komaravelli Mallanna Sagar reservoir cannot be halted due to the dispute by a few persons over the State government rehabilitating and resettling the oustees. The reservoir is being built as part of the much larger Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.
The court’s judgement came as a shot in the arm for the Telangana government, which is trying to complete the mammoth project at the earliest. A bench of acting Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akhter pointed out that a project in the public interest that would improve livelihoods of lakhs of people, cannot be halted for a few persons.
Highlighting the necessity of the project and the forecast of less-than-normal monsoon rainfall, Justice Chauhan said work on the project “must go on and (be) completed in time”. He added that the court would ensure oustees were rehabilitated and resettled as per the law.
Besides this, cheques of Rs 7.5 lakh each meant as rehabilitation for 37 oustees of the Mallanna Sagar reservoir project from Etigadda Kistapur village, who earlier refused to accept them, were deposited with the court for their distribution. The bench also directed that the agreement papers to be signed by oustees, who would have to part with their lands, must be in Telugu. The next hearing has been scheduled for July.