‘Don’t dispossess people from Vamsadhara lands’

HYDERABAD: IN a temperory relief to Tulagama villagers of Srikakulam district, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed AP government not to take any coercive steps till Friday to dispossess villagers from subject lands and houses for the purpose of construction of stage-2 of Vamsadhara project at Heeramandalam mandal in district.

The bench was passing this order in an appeal by G Ramakrishna Rao and 115 others against a single judge order who refused to pass interim orders in a plea seeking rehabilitation and compensation under new Land Acquisition Act 2013.Petitioners’ counsel Vasudha Nagaraj told the court that the authorities had passed the award in 2008 for taking over the subject property, but the petitioners continued to be in possession of the property.

On the other hand, the government counsel submitted that the subject property was already handed over to irrigation department and petitioners cannot claim new benefits under the new Act. After hearing both sides, the bench directed the government not to dispossess the persons from the above property till Friday. Bench directed government to file counter affidavit by Friday.