HC stays 618 acres allocation to CRDA

HYDERABAD: In a setback to the State government and the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), the Hyderabad High Court has stayed implementation of GO 548, issued on November 15 for alienation of about 618 acres of land to the CRDA at Kuragallu village in Mangalagiri mandal. It found fault with the recommendation of the collector to the state for transferring the land to the CRDA.

Justice M S Ramachandra Rao issued the interim order on petitions filed separately by R Srinivasa Rao, B Srinivasa Rao and several others seeking to suspend operation of the GO. The petitioners’ counsels submitted that the land in question was purchased by the petitioners through registered sale deeds. “But the government now claims that they are assigned lands and that the sales are invalid. Hence, they were taken back by the government and transferred to the CRDA.

In fact, these assignments were made in the year 1922 and the law permits sale of such assigned lands if they were prior to 1954,” they explained. While suspending the GO, the judge issued notices to the state, district collector and CRDA commissioner for filing counter affidavits on the issue.