HYDERABAD: In what is considered as a body blow to the state government, the High Court on Wednesday quashed the GO 123, issued on July 30, 2015, which provides for quick land acquisition through purchase of lands from the land owners for public purpose.
While passing strictures, saying, “The government is not a private property dealer,” the Court made it clear that the State cannot bypass the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (Act 30 of 2013) in respect of land acquisition.
Justice Suresh Kumar Kait was allowing the writ petition filed by Algi Tukkamma and 22 other landless agricultural labourers of Bardipur of Jarasangham mandal in Medak district, seeking suspension of the impugned GO and directions to the authorities to follow Act 30 of 2013 to give benefits for the affected people like them.
The petitioners contended that the government was acquiring lands in their village for the National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) to be set up by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC). Being agricultural labourers from SC community their livelihood would be lost if the lands were taken away under the impugned GO.
Finding a golden opportunity to further corner the state government, all opposition parties along with the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC) asked the government to honour the Court’s verdict and pay the compensation to the displaced farmers as per the Act 30 of 2013. Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao said that they would appeal against the court’s verdict before a division bench of HC.