HYDERABAD: Expressing its disinclination to stay the tender process for construction of Mallanna Sagar reservoir, Hyderabad High Court on Thursday directed TS government to file counter affidavit on a petition challenging tenders invited on July 20 for construction of the reservoir without environmental clearances. Justice A Ramalingeswara Rao was dealing with a petition by G Lakshmi and five others from Vemulaghat contending that the government has issued the tender notifications without obtaining the mandatory environmental clearance.
Petitioners’ counsel Ch Ravi Kumar submitted that as per the SC guidelines, no land for a project can be acquired without obtaining environmental clearance and urged the court to stay the tender process.
The judge directed Telangana government to file counter affidavit on the issue and adjourned the case by four weeks.