HYDERABAD: Pursuant to earlier direction of the court, Siddipet Collector P Venkatrama Reddy and RDO Vijayender Reddy appeared before the High Court on Thursday in the cases filed by the displaced families of Bahilampur and Mamidyala villages, alleging forceful eviction under Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir, which is part of Kaleshwaram project.
As directed by the court, district judge Sarita furnished her report along with the statements of the affected families. On May 1, the court took a serious view of the authorities’ action in forcefully evicting the petitioner families despite the court giving them time till May 1 to shift from their villages.
The district collector and the revenue divisional officer (RDO) appeared before the division bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, which is dealing with batch petitions filed by oustees who are yet to be allotted double bedroom houses.
The district collector told the court that four petitioner families of Bahilampur were allotted two bedroom houses and the remaining in single bedroom temporary accommodation at Gajwel. As the construction is half way through, the remaining families are being accommodated in single bedroom houses, he said.
The bench then asked the officer as to how the petitioners will stay in a single bedroom house if the number of family members are more? While posting the matter to May 13, the bench directed both the officers to be present on the day of case hearing.
Matter posted to May 13
Petitioners’ counsel Ch Ravi Kumar urged the court to consider petitioners’ plea to allot double bedroom houses in Achayapalli. The matter was posted to May 13.