AP HC raps government over delay in filing counters on Lulu Mall land allotment
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday questioned the State government over its failure to file counter affidavits in petitions challenging the allotment of land to Lulu International Shopping Malls Private Limited in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, despite repeated directions.
The court expressed concern that nearly a year had passed without the State filing its response in the matter.
It asked the government why the counters had not been filed so far and how much more time it intended to take.
Making its stand clear, the bench directed the State to file the counters without fail by the next date of hearing and adjourned the matter to March 11.
The orders were passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dheeraj Singh Thakur and Justice Challa Gunaranjan while hearing public interest litigations (PILs) filed last year challenging the allotment of 13.5 acres of land in Vizag and 4.15 acres in Vijayawada to Lulu Mall at what the petitioners described as nominal prices. The PILs were filed by Paka Satyanarayana of Vizag, Vijayawada-based advocate Ch Venkateswara Rao, and former minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao.
During earlier hearings, the Chief Justice-led bench directed the State to file counters on the land allotments.
Senior advocate V Ashok Ram argued that the allotments to Lulu Mall lacked bidding, transparency and violated Supreme Court norms.
He alleged a ‘one-plus-one offer’ and said the government ignored earlier cancellation grounds. Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas said the counters were ready, and the court ordered their submission by the next hearing.