Hyderabad: Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday ordered GHMC and Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities not to dispossess the residents of Padmahamsa Apart-ments in Sardar Patel Road in Secunderabad till June 30.
The judge was dealing with a petition by flat owners of the apartment challenging the award passed by the land acquisition officer to acquire their land for the Metro. The petitioners contended that the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (Act 30 of 2013) provided for rehabilitation package and till the award with regard to rehabilitation was passed, they could not be dispossessed.
The petitioners submitted that they had filed an application for their rehabilitation based on the advise of the court, but no order had been passed so far. The judge, while staying the dispossession of flat owners till June 30, adjourned the case to June 10.
Asked about the verdict, Hyderabad Metro Rail managing director N.V.S. Reddy said, “We are going to follow the orders of the court in terms of rehabilitation. The residents will be given the award for the land acquisition according to law and due procedure will be followed.” He said the government does not plan to appeal the order as the guidelines of the Land Acquisition Act are binding and have to be followed.
MLA opposes shifting of chilla to Amberpet
The shifting of a chilla (religious structure) from Khairatabad Assembly constituency to Amberpet by the Hyderabad Metro Rail authorities have raked up a controversy. Amberpet BJP MLA Mr G. Kishen Reddy has objected to the shifting, stating that the chilla should have been relocated in the same constituency as there was a lot of land available.
On Monday the BJP MLA met Sultan Bazar assistant commissioner of police and HMR authorities regarding the issue. Speaking to DC, Mr Reddy said, “Earlier the religious structure, which is of a single room, was located 15 metres from the Kachiguda crossroads, but that area falls under the Khairatabad Assembly constituency. They have now moved it into Amberpet constituency without informing me. When there is vast land available, why was it not relocated in the same constituency? So I have asked the HMR to shift the same.”
Sultan Bazar ACP Mr R. Giridhar said, “The structure has now been shifted to opposite Sweekar Hotel, towards the corner, near a police outpost. The religious structure is not very visible to the devotees too. The only objection of the MLA was that he was not informed.” Metro Rail authorities have been informed of the same and they will hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide whether to shift the chilla again.
