HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has admitted a writ petition by a 98-year-old farmer challenging two state laws that abolish Ameenpur Municipality and merge it with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin took the plea on file after preliminary hearing. The petition challenges the Telangana Municipalities (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 3 of 2026) and the GHMC (Second Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 2 of 2026), alleging arbitrariness and violation of constitutional safeguards.
The petitioner, an agriculturist, said the merger would alter the regulatory and taxation framework governing his land, including classification and permitted use.
Counsel argued that removing Ameenpur from the parent law amounts to a “de facto dissolution” of an elected body, which cannot be done without complying with Article 243U, mandating a five-year term and timely elections.
The plea further alleged that authorities first stripped Ameenpur of municipal status and then merged it with GHMC to bypass constitutional requirements and procedural safeguards, affecting democratic representation.
The bench noted that the case raises questions on legislative powers over municipal bodies and safeguards under Article 243U. It granted time for counter affidavits and adjourned the matter.