Bench asked CS to share details of pending compensation dues HC raps AP, TS for delayed payments

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure at the state governments of AP and Telangana in delaying the payment to the land owners for years together in land acquisition cases.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G. Shyam Prasad while dealing with a takenup case based on a letter by Mahbubnagar district judge G. Venkata Krishnaiah to the Chief Justice, cautioned the state governments that if the situation will continue like this they will not hesitate to stay the ongoing land acquisition proceeding in both states.

The district judge in his letter brought to the notice of the Chief Justice scores of executive petitions moved by the land owners have been pending before the trial courts for years together as the district collectors are not implementing compensation awards passed by the trial court.

The bench directed the Chief Secretaries of both states to file reports before the court explaining the number of cases pending for the compensation and the quantum of amount and the time required to pay compensation in pending cases.

The bench said the land owners have right to move the trial court when they are not satisfied with the award. equipment for Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G. Shyam Prasad, while dealing with a PIL by BJP leader Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy as a party in person, directed the state government and BHEL to file their counter-affidavits.

The petitioner submitted that the revision of estimates of package 1, 5, 8 and 16 of the project would cause a loss of `2,428 crore to the public exchequer and also give scope for corruption.

He told the court that the officials had fixed a price to purchase the equipment based on the advice of the adviser to irrigation department and ignoring the prices quoted by the ESCI.

Mr J. Ramachandra Rao, additional advocate general, opposing the contentions, said the petition was moved with political motives.