VIJAYAWADA: Even as the High Court suspended the government’s order to allot 1,251.51 acres in Amaravati for its housing for the poor programme, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department has directed the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) to take up the process of allotment of lands within the capital city area as requested by Krishna and Guntur district collectors. The government also told the CRDA to make changes in the master plan “as may be deemed necessary” for the purpose.
The MAUD department issued an order to this effect on Thursday, following an order by the Revenue department on March 31 revising the guidelines for provision of 25 lakh free sites for construction of houses to the economically weaker sections in the State. The MAUD’s order added that the CRDA shall comply with the High Court’s order with regard to following the due procedure.
“All preparatory steps in this regard shall be taken in pursuance of the above and shall await and abide by the directions of the Supreme Court in the special leave petition (SLP) to be filed by the State government and CRDA, and further directions as may be issued by the High Court,” MAUD Secretary J Syamala Rao said in the order (131).
The order further said that the CRDA shall relax the operation of any rules concerned as deemed necessary, limited to the special case of the Pedalandariki Illu scheme to achieve the objectives of the Act, more particularly, under Section 53(1)(d) of the APCRDA Act, 2014, which states that at least 5 per cent of total area will be used for housing for poor.
It maybe noted here that the High Court had suspended the government’s order to allot 1,251.51 acres in villages of Amaravati after the capital farmers took a legal recourse against the government’s decision.
The High Court noted that the procedure and the process obligated under the APCRDA Act, 2014 and its regulations and master plans have not been complied with while providing for the distribution of land within the capital city area.
In its common order on March 23, the High Court observed certain deficiencies and conflicts with the provisions of the Act and in the guidelines issued by the Revenue department. Subsequently, the government had decided to file an SLP in the apex court on the findings of the High Court limited to the scope and purport of the terms housing, EWS, poor etc.