HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday closed two contempt of court cases after the state government assured compliance with its earlier orders and confirmed the release of Rs 18.36 crore for disbursal to eligible petitioners within six weeks.
Justice Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy noted that the funds had been released on April 14, 2026, a day before the matter was taken up. The court had earlier directed the personal appearance of the Finance Secretary over the non-release of funds linked to its 2023 orders.
The orders pertained to extending equal Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) benefits to aged widows and widowers displaced by the Mallannasagar project.
The contempt proceedings arose from a batch of writ petitions filed by displaced persons from Vemulaghat and Etigadda Kishtapur villages. On November 10, 2023, the high court had directed the authorities to extend full R&R benefits within four months in accordance with law. Delays in implementation led to the filing of two contempt cases in April 2024.
In January 2024, then Siddipet collector Prashant Jeevan Patil submitted proposals seeking budget allocation for 309 beneficiaries, recommending Rs 12.54 lakh per individual along with Rs 7 lakh for plot development. In August 2024, collector Manu Chaudhary proposed an expanded outlay of Rs 91.44 crore to cover 468 beneficiaries across the district. Acting on legal advice, the state government moved an interim proposal seeking Rs 18.36 crore for immediate disbursal to petitioners in three cases.
Despite this, delays continued, prompting the high court on July 24, 2025 to direct the personal appearance of officials after issuing Form-1 notices on July 10, 2025.
During the hearing, then Collector Haimavathi informed the court that review petitions had been filed questioning the eligibility of certain petitioners for R&R benefits. The court expressed concern over the timing of these petitions during ongoing contempt proceedings and warned that coercive steps, including bailable warrants, could be initiated against erring officials.
Following the state government’s assurance and the subsequent release of funds, the court recorded compliance and closed the contempt cases.