Panel defers decision on Zaheerabad investment zone

‘Siddipet Collector did not follow due process prescribed’

Justice M. S. Ramachandra Rao of the Hyderabad High Court suspended the orders passed by District Collector of Siddipet revising market value of lands in the district. This order is likely to effect the cost and pace of land acquisition process in the district where Mallannasagar irrigation project is coming up.

Interim orders

The judge was passing these interim orders in a writ petition filed by Narasimha Reddy and several farmers of Vemulaghat village.

They contended that the District Collector had, without following the due process prescribed under the rules, revised the market value. They said that the value was fixed at ₹80,000 per acre whereas the government purchased one acre for ₹6 lakh. The new land acquisition act mandates that before issuing notification for acquiring lands the market values have to be revised.

The rules provide for procedure to be followed for special revision when irrigation projects come up.

Officers excluded

The revision was done without participation of officers of the registration department. The sub-registrar did not even know that the revision had taken place. The minutes of meeting where the revision was arrived at was shown to the court to buttress the point that Telangana Revision of market value guidelines rules were violated.

The government said the procedure for revision need not be done under Telangana Revision of market value guidelines rules.

The purchase of land by government by mutual consent cannot be basis for fixing market value. The judge said that the process of revision was not correct.

The order of the District Collector revising market value of the lands was suspended with all consequential effects.