Telangana High Court tells govt to clarify stand on GO 111 ambit 

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to submit in writing in two days whether Vattinagulapally lands come outside the purview of the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar catchment areas.A bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili was hearing a plea filed by Agni Agro Tech and three other companies owning lands in Vattinagulapally, one of the 84 villages mentioned in 111 GO that prohibited major construction and setting up of industries etc within 10 km radius of the twin reservoirs. 

Additional A-G J Ramachandra Rao admitted that a huge portion of Vattinagulapally falls outside the catchment areas of the twin reservoirs and hence not under the purview of GO 111.Senior Counsel K Vivek Reddy, appearing for the petitioners, argued that despite such claims from the State, they are facing several practical difficulties on the ground. 

“The government brought in GO 69 making certain modifications to GO 111. This does not completely replace the old GO. The new GO relaxed certain conditions. We have no idea what this new GO says about the non-catchment areas. We only urge this court to completely remove us from this new GO and its restrictions. When the State itself admits that we are not part of GO 111, then the question of us becoming part of the new GO should not arise,” the senior counsel said. 

He pointed out that the mandate of the expert committee headed by the Chief Secretary doesn’t deal with non-catchment areas at all. It only speaks about the watersheds in the catchment areas. The EPTRI’s second report dealt with this subject and said that a major portion of Vattinagulapally is a non-catchment area.After hearing Vivek Reddy, the court directed the government to file a detailed affidavit in writing within two days and posted the case to April 28.

‘New GO doesn’t mention non-catchment areas’

Additional A-G J Ramachandra Rao admitted that a huge portion of Vattinagulapally falls outside the catchment areas of the twin reservoirs and hence not under the purview of GO 111. Senior Counsel K Vivek Reddy, appearing for the petitioners, argued that despite such claims from the State, they are facing several practical difficulties on the ground. “The new GO relaxed certain conditions. We have no idea what this new GO says about the non-catchment areas. We only urge this court to completely remove us from this new GO and its restrictions,” he added. He also pointed out that the mandate of the expert committee headed by the Chief Secretary doesn’t deal with non-catchment areas at all. It only speaks about the watersheds in the catchment areas