Will the government allocate land to thousands of individuals who played pivotal role in creation of separate Telangana state at throwaway prices?
The Telangana High Court raised this question on Thursday, while hearing a PIL petition challenging State government’s allotment of five acres of land to film producer and director N. Shankar. Presenting government contentions on the matter, Advocate General B. S. Prasad said Mr. Shankar had actively participated in the agitation for separate Telangana state. Considering his role, the State Cabinet had allotted him the land.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy said the entire Telangana region had battled for separate state. “Will the government provide land to everyone who fought for Telangana at throwaway prices,” the bench asked. It sought to know the justification of giving away an acre of land having market value of ₹ 2.5 crore at the rate of ₹ 5 lakh an acre.
The AG told the court that during the 80s the then government of undivided Andhra Pradesh had allotted lands to film industry persons in Banjara Hills to construct film studios.
In the case of director Shankar, the Film Development Corporation had recommended allocation of land to him, the AG said.
The bench, however, noted that already film industry was well established in Hyderabad.
Entities like Ramoji Film City, with sound technical facilities, were available in the State.
In this backdrop, what was the need to build new studios, the bench said.
Instead of allotting land to private individuals, the government could generate income source if it buildt such studios, the bench observed. Citing the example of Rajasthan, the Chief Justice said the government had built film studios there and got income from them. Even nearly 200 elephants were made available there.
Prestigious films were shot in such studios there. Will the government allocate land to persons producing low-budget films, documentaries and wildlife films, the bench sought to know.
It was not correct to allow allocation of government lands in the name of building studios, the bench said.
It directed the government to file a detailed counter affidavit by September 16 on the matter.