400-acre auction plan: Telangana High Court issues notices to State

Seeks detailed explanations regarding legality and environmental implications of the proposed sale of land located in Kancha Gachibowli area of Rangareddy district

Hyderabad: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, on Monday raised significant concerns regarding the State government’s plan to auction 400 acres of forest land on the outskirts of the city. The court issued notices to the State government, seeking detailed explanations regarding the legality and environmental implications of the proposed sale.

The High Court’s concerns stemmed from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by environmental NGO Vata Foundation, which challenged the State government’s decision to auction the forest land located in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Rangareddy district.

---

The NGO contended that the land fell within the Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) and should be developed as a national park instead of being sold for commercial purposes. The 400 acres in question, located in Survey No. 25 of Kancha Gachibowli village, Serilingampally mandal, were allocated to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) through Government Order (GO) 54, issued on June 26, 2024.

According to the government’s plans, the land would be developed into an international master plan layout to accommodate IT companies and infrastructure facilities. The land was reportedly valued at approximately Rs 75 crore per acre, and the government intended to auction it in phases.

In February this year, TGIIC invited bids for the development of the proposed layout. However, Vata Foundation, in its petition, requested the High Court to halt the auction process and prevent the sale of the forest land.

Represented by senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, the petitioner argued that the government’s move to sell the forest land violated the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. Reddy also highlighted that the 400 acres and the surrounding areas were part of the Ecological Sensitive Zone and home to diverse biodiversity. He invoked Section 35 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, urging the court to direct the government to notify the area as a national park instead of allowing commercial development.

After hearing the arguments, the bench issued notices to several key government officials, including the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries of Forest and Environment, Revenue, Information Technology, Electronics and Communication departments, Managing Director of TGIIC, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Conservator of Forests, Rangareddy District Collector, and Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The petitioner’s counsel also requested the court to issue interim orders to immediately halt the auction process.

However, the bench declined to grant any immediate relief, stating that the government should be given at least 10 days to respond to the issue of interim orders. The High Court then directed the State government to file its response within 10 days. The case has been adjourned for further hearing on April 7.