PIL claims public land in Rudrangi encroached

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has disposed of a PIL by directing the panchayat officer, Rajanna Sircilla district, to act in accordance with the written instructions submitted in court.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara was hearing the PIL filed by Pittala Naresh, a resident of Rudrangi village, urging the court to declare the inaction of the authorities to protect government lands as illegal.

The petitioner alleged that mandal panchayat officer Pallakonda Sudhakar and panchayat secretary Paltiya Ramdas Chouhan were granting permissions to private individuals to take up house constructions on government lands for monetary gains. The petitioner also contended that house numbers were being assigned without specifying survey numbers. He sought directions to the authorities to cancel the building permission order issued to one Gaddam Satya and demolish the structures erected on government lands.

During the hearing, the Government Pleader for the Panchayat Raj department submitted written instructions before the court stating that upon receiving the petitioner’s representation, the divisional panchayat officer, Sircilla, was instructed to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.

However, the inquiry had been delayed due to the gram panchayat elections in 2024. The GP assured the court that the inquiry would be completed in the presence of the petitioner, and appropriate action taken within a fortnight.

Taking note of this assurance, counsel for the petitioner expressed satisfaction and urged the court to dispose of the petition accordingly.