HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday pulled up the revenue officials concerned for delaying payment of compensation to the affected families towards land acquisition despite court order passed in 2009. Should the people, who have lost their lands under acquisition by the government, have to go from pillar-to post for compensation?
The present officials cannot escape from the responsibility by citing that the previous officials were responsible for the delay. Action would be taken against all those responsible from the date of issue of land acquisition notification. If the same practice continues, the court would suo motu implead the state chief secretary as one of the respondents in the case and call for his explanation, the bench warned. The bench was dealing with a contempt appeal filed by N Panduranga, RDO of Sircilla in Karimnagar district, challenging an order of a single judge who had sentenced him to one month’s imprisonment and a fine of `1,500.
As for the case, one B Balaji had approached the High Court when the state government failed to pay compensation for his land at Sarampalli village in Sircilla mandal which was acquired by the government. In July 2009, the court allowed his plea and directed the government to pay compensation to him within four months at full market value as was decided under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. When the government failed to implement the court’s order, the petitioner filed a contempt case.
Last month, the single judge, while taking the issue seriously, sentenced the RDO to one-month imprisonment and a fine of `1,500. The sentence, however, was suspended for a period of six weeks. Aggrieved by the same, the RDO filed a contempt appeal before the division bench.On Wednesday, the government counsel told the court that the present RDO took charge this year and that a compensation of Rs 4.1 lakh was paid towards land acquisition. Not satisfied with the submissions of the government counsel, the bench expressed its anger at the officials for delay in payment of compensation as per the court order.
Following an appeal by the government’s counsel, the bench stayed implementation of the order of the single judge with regard to imprisonment but directed the RDO to pay the fine amount. The bench made it clear that these interim orders would be subject to final judgment in the case.