Telangana HC Orders Status Quo On Future City Radial Road Land
The court observed that the issues required detailed examination. It therefore directed the state government, the Rangareddy collector and others to file comprehensive counter-affidavits explaining the procedure followed, the status of objections, and the circumstances under which compensation was paid.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday issued interim orders directing status quo in respect of some portion of land involved in the ongoing acquisition process for the construction of the Future City greenfield radial road connecting Exit 13 of the Outer Ring Road at Raviryala to Meerkhanpet in Rangareddy district.
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar passed the order while hearing a writ petition filed by Nagavaram Mounika and 29 others challenging the land acquisition proceedings initiated through Notification No. G2/3491/2024 dated 28 October 2024, published in the Rangareddy District Gazette.
The petitioners contended that the collector had initiated acquisition of 447 acres for the proposed project, of which 36 acres belonged to them. Senior advocate J. Ramachandra Rao, appearing on behalf of the petitioners, argued that the authorities were proceeding with the acquisition in complete disregard of the mandatory procedures laid down under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
It was submitted that the authorities had failed to comply with the requirements contemplated under Sections 4 to 8, 11, 15 and 26 of the Act, including the obligation to issue proper notices, receive objections, and provide personal hearings to affected landowners.
Counsel contended that the petitioners’ representations had been rejected mechanically through proceedings dated May 13, 2025, without adequate consideration. He also argued that no environmental study had been conducted before proceeding with the acquisition and that the authorities had not invoked the urgency clause under Section 40, despite attempting to justify expedited acquisition.
Appearing for the state, Advocate-General A. Sudershan Reddy submitted that the land acquisition was being undertaken in accordance with law. He stated that of the 447 acres required, a substantial portion of landowners had consented to the acquisition and had received compensation amounting to approximately `60 crore to 90 land owners. He said that a few of the petitioners had participated in the Section 15(1) enquiry and had received compensation after due process.
The court observed that the issues required detailed examination. It therefore directed the state government, the Rangareddy collector and others to file comprehensive counter-affidavits explaining the procedure followed, the status of objections, and the circumstances under which compensation was paid. Pending further hearing, the court ordered that the status quo with respect to the petitioners’ lands be maintained, clarifying that the acquisition process would remain subject to the final outcome of the writ petition. The matter was adjourned to December 29.
