Stop issuing of passbooks for structures raised in tribal areas: High Court to govt

Hyderabad: The High Court issued orders to the State government asking it to not to issue Maroon or any other passbooks for recognition of rights over the structures raised in the scheduled areas constructed after 03-02-1970, till the next date.

The High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy heard a public interest litigation filed by Adivasi Sankshema Parishad. The petitioner alleged that declaring the action of the State government for enlisting all the structures in the Scheduled Areas of the State for issuing Maroon passbooks creating permanent rights as owners over such properties constructed without obtaining permissions and Rythuwari Pattas over such lands as illegal, arbitrary and contrary to the Telangana Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulations under 5th Schedule of the Constitution of India.

The counsel for the petitioner, PV Ramana, argued that the present policy of the government was directly in contravention if the government issues Maroon passbooks to the structures raised in the Scheduled Areas after 1970 without any permissions from panchayat or municipal authorities. Chief Justice RS Chauhan directed the State government to stop issuance of passbooks till the next hearing in tribal areas, otherwise, it would lead to unnecessary complications.

The High Court directed Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad to file the counter by November 18 and the matter was posted to November 19.