HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji, on Monday issued a directive to the State government to not reinstate the order that proposed a draft master plan for Kamareddy district without the court’s permission.
The GO 199, which was issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department on November 1, 2022, sparked widespread opposition from farmers and the general public. The bench was hearing a case filed by Dr KA Paul, president of the Praja Shanti Party, seeking a direction to set aside the GO 199. He presented his arguments before the division bench in person.
‘Held in abeyance’
Appearing for the State government, P Nageswar Rao informed the bench that the Director of Town Planning, Kamareddy district, had issued a memo, dated January 30, 2023, through which the new draft master plan for Kamareddy district had been ‘held in abeyance’ till further directives were made.
After hearing the State’s contentions on why the draft master plan was kept on hold, Chief Justice Bhuyan said that the State might have very well withdrawn it.
Subsequently, the bench directed the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)-led State government to not revive GO 199 without the court’s permission.
Fresh plan on the cards?
In January, Special Chief Secretary of MAUD Department Arvind Kumar said a fresh master plan by reconsidering the proposal to merge surrounding villages in the municipality would be prepared. This was after farmers across the district staged widespread protests against the draft plan