Telangana HC sets aside land acquisition declaration for PRLIS in Nagarkurnool district

HYDERABAD:  In a relief to a group of farmers, whose lands were acquired for the construction of Vattem Balancing Reservoir under Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) at Karukonda village in Nagarkurnool district, the Telangana High Court set aside the impugned award and declaration issued under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which facilitated the acquisition of their lands. 

A perusal of the declaration confirmed that it had no provision of rehabilitation and resettlement to the petitioner farmers.

Even the impugned awards do not contain any provision of such benefits, which prima facie appears to be in violation of Section 19 as well as Section 31 of the Act, the court observed.

It further issued a notice to government to file a counter affidavit.

Justice A Rajasheker Reddy passed the interim order recently in a petition filed by S Niranjan Rao and 16 other farmers of Karukonda village, challenging the award and declaration passed by the authorities concerned for acquisition of their lands under the said project.

The petitioners alleged that without a whisper of R&R entitlements in the award, the authorities proceeded to remove them from their lands.

Petitioners’ counsel NS Arjun Kumar told the court that the impugned award and declaration passed under Section 19 of the Land Acquisition Act, do not contain the provision of rehabilitation and resettlement to the petitioners. 

After hearing the case, the judge passed the above interim order, issued a notice to government to file a counter affidavit, and posted the matter to September 28 for further hearing.