HC Warns of Blanket Ban on Future Land Acquisitions if Compensation Arrears Are Not Cleared
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar was hearing a contempt petition filed by more than 60 farmers from Busireddypally and surrounding areas of Pangal mandal of Wanaparthy district.
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court came down heavily on the state government for prolonged and unexplained delays in paying compensation to those whose land parcels were acquired more than a decade ago, warning that such conduct may compel the court to pass blanket orders restraining all future land acquisition proceedings if compensation arrears were not cleared in time.
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar was hearing a contempt petition filed by more than 60 farmers from Busireddypally and surrounding areas of Pangal mandal of Wanaparthy district. Their land was acquired in 2013 for the excavation of the Shankara Samudram balancing reservoir canal. The petitioners complained of wilful non-compliance with court orders directing payment of compensation, despite repeated opportunities granted to the authorities.
Holding that a prima facie case of wilful disobedience was made out, the court issued Form-I notices (summons) to the principal secretary, irrigation, Rahul Bojja, principal secretary, finance, Sandeep Kumar Sultania, and CCLA Lokesh Kumar, calling upon them to appear in person before the court on February 2and explain why action should not be initiated against them under the Contempt of Courts Act for non-implementation of court’s orders.
The court was informed that the landowners approached the Civil Court seeking enhancement of compensation. The Principal Senior Civil Judge, Wanaparthy, by judgment and decree dated June 15, 2023, confirmed the enhanced compensation.
The authorities preferred an appeal, and in the connected proceedings, the High Court, by order dated April 29, 2025, directed the respondents to deposit 50 per cent of the decretal amount, in terms of the order dated December 19, 2024.
The amount was not deposited even after eight months. Taking note of this, the court observed that excuses were being made despite repeated indulgence shown by the judiciary. Justice Shravan Kumar expressed strong displeasure over the authorities seeking more time without implementing the order and remarked that such an approach struck at the very sanctity of court orders.
A counter affidavit filed by the finance department stated that no file relating to the proposal had been received from the irrigation and command area development department and that the finance department, being only an advisory department, would process the matter as and when the file was forwarded to it. The court found this explanation unsatisfactory, observing that inter-departmental correspondence cannot be used as a shield to justify non-compliance with binding judicial orders.
The assistant government pleader, appearing for the irrigation department, sought time to comply with the order dated April 29, 2025. The court noted that despite several opportunities granted, the order had not been complied with. Justice Shravan Kumar questioned how the state could continue acquiring new land parcels when it had failed to pay compensation for land acquired years ago.
The court warned that if compensation for acquired land was not paid in time, it would have no option but to pass orders restraining the state from undertaking any further acquisition proceedings until existing compensation arrears were cleared and court orders are duly implemented.
