The Andhra Pradesh High Court has intervened in a contentious land allotment case for a major IT park project in Visakhapatnam. On Wednesday, the court directed the state government to submit a detailed counter affidavit, shedding light on the number of applications received for the land and the policy framework governing the process.
Court Directive and PIL Allegations
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Challa Gunaranjan, issued the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The PIL was filed by G Srinivasa Rao of the Society for Protection of Constitutional Rights. It challenges the allotment of a substantial 27.1 acres of land at Madhurawada IT Hill-3 to Raheja Corporation Limited.
Representing the petitioner, Senior Counsel Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy made serious allegations. He argued that the allotment violated the state's AP Land Incentive for Tech Hubs (APLIfT) policy. Reddy claimed the land was being given away at a nominal rate of ₹0.99 per acre. He further informed the court that the government was preparing to release a whopping ₹91 crore for building construction on the site. Based on these claims, the petitioner sought an immediate stay on the entire allotment process.
Government's Defense and Key Denial
Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas presented the state government's defense. He pointed out that a separate PIL on the same issue was already pending before the high court and suggested clubbing the two matters together. Srinivas strongly denied the allegation that land was being allotted at less than one rupee per acre.
He provided a crucial clarification, stating that the allotment to Raheja Corporation would be conditional upon the company achieving its promised target of creating 15,000 jobs through the IT park project. The Advocate General accused the petitioner of suppressing facts regarding the specific conditions imposed on the real estate developer. He requested time to file a comprehensive counter affidavit, assuring the court that all relevant details would be placed on record.
Court's Final Ruling and Next Steps
After considering arguments from both sides, the high court bench delivered its interim order. While it declined to grant a stay on the land allotment process to Raheja Corporation Limited, it issued a clear directive to the state government. The court ordered the government to file its detailed counter affidavit, which must include the complete number of applications received for the land and the policy under which allotments are made.
The matter has been posted for further hearing in two weeks. The state's response will be crucial in determining whether the allotment process adheres to legal and policy frameworks or requires judicial correction.
