In a major setback to K Chandrasekhar Rao government’s ambitious intention of acquiring more than one lakh acres of land for various flagship irrigation and infrastructural projects, the Hyderabad High Court has directed not to acquire land till completion of the land acquisition process under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameen Akhter gave this interim direction while hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by P Praveen Reddy, a resident of Goliwada village. It alleged that the lands of farmers to an extent of 240 acres were being sought to be forcibly taken over by the Revenue authorities.

It also said that the authorities were constructing pump house in the land for Sundilla Barrage under Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project. The blasting and drilling works undertaken for this were severely affecting the possession of farmer, complained the counsel for the petitioner B Rachna Reddy.

She pointed out that although preliminary notification for acquiring these lands was issued in last October itself, the further aspects of acquisition were not being undertaken even as the works under the project had been speeded up.

She pointed out that the authorities had taken up blasting activities in farmers’ lands for construction of a pump house without completing land acquisition procedures under Act 2013. Due to the blasting, she deplored that the standing crops have been damaged.

The bench then asked advocate-general K Ramakrishna Reddy whether the lands had been acquired under the Emergency Clause of the Act. While replying in the negative, the AG contended that the petitioner had no locus standi to file the petition as he was not a farmer. The works commenced in government land but not in farmers’ lands, he said. The bench granted government two weeks’ time to file counter and directed officials not to dispossess farmers of their lands.