Telangana High Court gives nod for e-auction of Kokapet lands
Telangana High Court
Hyderabad: The High Court division bench headed by the Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy permitted the State government to go ahead with the e-auction of land parcels located in Kokapet and Khanamet on Thursday as per its schedule.
The division bench was adjudicating the public interest litigation filed by Vijayashanti, actress and BJP leader, seeking a stay on GO 13, dated June 10 through which the State government intends to sell land parcels in Kokapet, Khanamet and other parts of the State for the purpose of generating revenue of Rs 50,000 crore.
Niranjan Reddy, Senior Counsel, appearing for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority informed the court that an earlier division bench of this TS High Court had dealt with the similar issue in a PIL and passed orders which in favour of the State government.
The earlier division bench held that the government was well within its power to create such a policy to sell the lands in order to avoid possible encroachments of land parcels and such lands which were not required for the public purpose.
The Chief Justice bench while agreeing to the contentions of Niranjan Reddy observed that the order of the earlier division bench binds on it and court cannot interfere in the issue.
The Chief Justice further asked the Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad as to whether there were any other e-auction of lands apart from the auction in Kokapet and Khanamet, to which Advocate General informed that there was no such e-auction in near future. By taking note of the submissions of the Advocate General, the CJ bench made it clear that it has not stayed the e-auction of the lands in Kokapet and Khanamet, which were scheduled for Thursday
Chief Justice Hima Kohli further observed that if at all the court passes any orders in this issue, there would be a steep fall in the prices of lands in the state and the court doesn't want the State exchequer to get into losses.
The matter was further adjourned to July 16 for further hearing.