HYDERABAD: Expressing frustration over the lack of accountability among government officers and their disregard for court orders, a bench of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday asked the State machinery: “Where will the citizens go after this court and Supreme Court pass orders and yet they remain at the mercy of officers?”
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji directed the Rangareddy district Collector and Joint Collector, Rajendernagar RDO and Gandipet mandal tahsildar to appear before it on June 20, 2023, along with the E-Pattadar Pass Books and warned them of consequences if they continue to defy the court’s directives.
The bench was hearing a contempt of court case filed by M/s. Pratap Enterprises Group Pvt Ltd (formerly Pratap Jungle Resorts Pvt Ltd) alleging deliberate and willful disobedience of the court’s order dated August 19, 2019.
The dispute revolves around a 20-acre property in Khanapr village, Gandipet Mandal of Rangareddy district, claimed both by the State as government property and by the resort owners who assert that they acquired the land in 1998 and possess valid title documents and pattadar passbooks.
The revenue authorities had contested the resort owners’ claims, citing irregularities in the title deed and accusing them of manipulating revenue records.
In order to remove the identities of the resort owners from the revenue records, the joint collector issued an order to that effect. However, a single judge of the High Court overturned the authorities’ decision in 2008, ordering the reinstatement of the owner’s names in the records.
Officials cite ‘forbidden list’ to deny resort owners’ rights
Despite subsequent court orders in 2012 reaffirming the owners’ rights, the revenue officials failed to comply. In an attempt to restrict any transactions or registrations related to the property, the State included it in the government lands list, following the dismissal of their case by a bench of the High Court on November 19, 2013. The State then appealed the decision to the Supreme Court but its appeal was rejected on January 7, 2021. Nevertheless, the authorities continued to deny the resort owners e-pattadar passbooks, as the land was on the forbidden list.
Following this, the resort owners filed a contempt of court case. Hearing the case, Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Tukaramji criticised the authorities for raising the issue of incorrect entries in revenue records long after it had been overlooked. The bench said that the e-pattadar passbooks issued to the petitioner had been validated by the Supreme Court and were still under consideration in a civil lawsuit.
During the March 24, 2023 hearing, counsel for the State had sought time to comply with the court’s directives. However, the bench rebuffed the attorney’s justification, stating that they were unimpressed with the repeated request for another four-week extension.