Telangana High Court on Wednesday closed all petitions challenging two Government Orders (which facilitate regularisation of unapproved lay-outs and buildings constructed in violation of rules) as the Supreme Court is seized of the matter.
A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy passed this direction.
The petitions included five PIL pleas. They sought suspension of GO 131 of Municipal Administration Department and GO 152 (Building Regularisation Scheme). The bench however extended the interim stay orders issued by it earlier in these petitions. The stay orders would be in force till the Supreme Court adjudicates the matter.
“It is deemed appropriate that till the Supreme Court takes a decision in the SLP, the Telangana government will not take any coercive steps against all those persons who applied for regularisation of illegal and unauthorised lay-outs in the State,” the bench said.
The parties can seek consequential relief by approaching the authorities till the Supreme Court takes a decision in the matter, the bench said.
Many people moved Telangana High Court questioning GO 131 (issued on August 31, 2020) which had provisions to regularise illegal lay-outs and open plots. Similarly, petitions were also filed challenging the Building Regularisation Scheme (GO 152) announced by State government in 2016.
The HC earlier issued stay orders in all these petitions. Meanwhile, a writ petition was filed in SC pertaining to illegal constructions and lay-outs in different parts of the country. The SC directed the petitioner to implead Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in that plea.
The government counsel said in the HC that Telangana is yet to file its counter affidavit in the matter in SC. With the HC closing all the petitions, the issues pertaining to LRS and BRS are to be adjudicated by the SC.
