HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to constitute a committee comprising legal experts, in addition to the existing panel formed by the previous government in 2015 under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, to address the long-pending disputes involving Dubai-based Emaar Properties.
The decision followed a meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday, where Emaar representatives, including founder and managing director (MD) Mohammed Alabbar, spoke about resolving legal and operational hurdles related to the company’s stalled projects.
Since the cases probed by investigating agencies and chargesheets involve legal issues, the chief minister instructed officials to thoroughly examine the firm’s agreement documents, details of court cases and instructions given by the Union government. He also accepted Emaar’s proposal to set up a legal agency with the approval of the UAE government to study the legal disputes and find an amicable solution.
Hearings into Emaar cases still going on
Revanth stated that the committee formed by the government would consult with the legal agency and provide further suggestions and advice.
It must be noted that Emaar Properties had entered into agreements in 2001 with the then state government to invest in projects such as the construction of a convention centre, hotel, golf course, villas and other projects in Hyderabad. During that period, the CBI and ED registered cases regarding alleged irregularities in agreements the company had entered into with Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).
Investigations into these cases and hearings in the courts are still ongoing. After the formation of Telangana, the previous BRS government constituted a five-member secretary-level committee, headed by the chief secretary, in October 2015 to resolve disputes related to Emaar’s projects. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Solicitor General of India also made several suggestions to the state government on this matter. During the meeting with Emaar representatives on Thursday, officials briefed the chief minister on all these issues.