Justice L.Narasimha Reddy of the A.P. High Court on Friday quashed the notifications issued to acquire 112 acres of lands in Ambapuram village of Vijayawada rural mandal.
The judge was allowing a batch of writ petitions. M.V.N. Sailaja and others filed these cases.
They said that the Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) got issued the notification seeking to acquire 112 acres in their village allegedly for ‘township development'.
The judge called for records and quashed the notification. Justice Reddy reminded that the courts have held that the public purpose mentioned in the notification must be specific and not vague.
The court wondered what is public purpose in township development and set aside the notification.
Resident's plea
The Ambapuram farmers and plot owners, under aegis of Maa Bhoomi, a voluntary organisation fighting for the cause of small plot owners, have submitted a memorandum to Krishna district Collector Peeyush Kumar urging him to cancel Ambapuram township proposal.
The Maa Bhoomi president P. Koteswara Rao said that a large number of small plot owners as well as farmers would benefit if the proposal is shelved.
Even if the project is not wound up, the The Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) would have no other choice but to keep it under some kind of suspended animation.
As a result, the small plot owners and the farmers would be unable to make use of their lands. Meanwhile, some realtors were putting pressure on the plot owners and farmers to sell their lands at throw away prices saying that the VGTUMDA would take up the township project, he said.
Mr. Rao stated that the UDA had already written a letter to Municipal Administration and Urban Development principal secretary requesting that the project be shelved, but the Revenue department was still behaving as if the township was coming up.
