HYDERABAD: A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji, has directed the authorities to stop until further notice the alienation of land belonging to Government Junior College for Boys in Devarakonda of Nalgonda district for the construction of an integrated vegetable and non-vegetable market.
The bench also issued notices to the State government represented by its Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Revenue), as well as the Commissioner of Intermediate Education, the Nalgonda district Collector, the Devarakonda Municipality Commissioner, and other officials, directing them to provide their response by the next date of hearing on August 18, 2023.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Tutupalli Ravi Kumar, an advocate and resident of Devarakonda challenging the December 9, 2022 orders of the Collector, directing the transfer of approximately 2 acres of land belonging to the college to the Municipal Commissioner for constructing the market. Tera Rajanikanth Reddy, who appeared for the petitioner, said that the college was established nearly 50 years ago on land donated by Thanam Buchyalu and Seelam Venkanna and caters to over 1,000 students from over 50 villages in and around Devarakonda. Additionally, a government high school and a primary school are also situated on the 11-acre plot, he said.
Counsel said that the impugned land allotment violated government guidelines, which require consent from the heads of the departments concerned for land transfers. The Collector’s decision to unilaterally allocate the land for the market construction contradicted these guidelines, counsel argued.
He said that allowing the implementation of the impugned order would adversely affect the education and future prospects of the college’s students as the market would disrupt campus activities, cause increased traffic movement, and hinder the smooth functioning of the college. After considering these arguments, the court ordered a stay and issued notices to the respondents.