Telangana High Court asks the state government to get alternative lands

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court asked the state government on Friday to find out possibilities of providing alternative lands to those who lose their livelihood due to land acquisition, and prepare appropriate modalities to provide alternative lands to oustees where government land parcels are available.  

The High Court was dealing with a petition by nine farmers and landowners hailing from Muthrajpally, Gajwel mandal, Siddipet district, which said that revenue officials were trying to acquire their 30 acres of land.

The petitioners said revenue and irrigation officials were forcibly evicting them from their land saying that they had issued a notification for acquisition. The petitioners brought to the notice of the court that the notification has the limited purpose of building houses for specific individuals displaced due to their land having been acquired and such a project cannot fall within the umbrella term ‘infrastructure’.

They submitted that the housing facility under a relief and rehabilitation package to oustees of projects can provided on government land, rather than acquiring patta land.

The petitioners urged the court to restrain officials from taking any further steps pursuant to the said notification and from interfering with the peaceful possession in their property. The court directed the officials not to interfere with the peaceful possession in the petitioners’ lands. The case was adjourned to 24 June for further hearing.