HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji, reserved its orders in a PIL field J Shankar from Karimnagar district, now Jagtial, challenging the decision of the State government to allot five acres of land, worth crores of rupees, to film director N Shankar in Survey No 96, Mokilla village, Shankerpally mandal in Rangareddy District, at a nominal cost of `5 lakh per acre.
Senior counsel Sarasani Satyam Reddy, representing the petitioners, opposed the government’s move to allocate valuable land at such a low cost to a film director, especially as the land is allotted permanently, not on the lease.
Advocate General BS Prasad, representing Telangana, informed the court that N Shankar had participated in the Telangana agitation. The decision to allocate land to Shankar for the establishment of a film institute/studio was made by the government to generate employment and was approved by the Cabinet.