Telangana HC hears petition challenging ordinance aimed at amending Municipalities Act 2019
The petitioners argued that the ordinance was introduced without proper consultation or data collection from the affected villagers, alleging that the decision is motivated by interests in real estate development rather than community welfare.
By Legal Correspondent
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court heard a writ petition which challenged an ordinance aimed at amending the Telangana Municipalities Act of 2019. The ordinance proposes the merger of 51 Gram Panchayats into their respective municipalities. The case was brought before a division bench led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Sreenivas Rao. The petition was filed by G. Padmavathi and four others, all former Sarpanches from villages in the Shamshabad Mandal of Ranga Reddy District. The petitioners argued that the ordinance was introduced without proper consultation or data collection from the affected villagers, alleging that the decision is motivated by interests in real estate development rather than community welfare.
Counsel for the petitioners, V Sanjana, emphasized that the villagers were not informed about the proposal to merge their communities into municipalities. She stated that the respondents sought a report from villagers without their knowledge, characterizing this move as an “eyewash.” The petitioners contended that the supposed rationale for the merger — accelerated development — was a facade designed to serve the self-interests of developers. They highlighted that T. Prakash Goud, the local MLA from the Rajendranagar Assembly constituency, had also voiced opposition to the merger, asserting that it would not benefit the villages.
The petitioners also criticized the process leading to the ordinance, claiming it lacked any consultative engagement with those most affected. The writ plea included allegations that a memo issued on July 26, which seeks to extend the jurisdiction of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) up to the Outer Ring Road (ORR), was beyond the legal authority of the respondents. The petitioners argued that the respondents’ actions reflected ulterior motives, fundamentally undermining the interests of the villagers who stand to be impacted by the merger. After considering the contentions raised in the writ petition, the bench ordered notices to be issued to the respondents and scheduled the matter for further hearing.
Hyderabad: Justice T. Vinod Kumar of the Telangana High Court took on file a writ petition challenging the actions of the Special Deputy Collector and other officials regarding the alleged attempt to acquire land near the Nehru Zoological Park without following proper legal procedures. The petition was filed by Hamood Bin Hamza Al Jabri, who claimed that the authorities’ actions were not only arbitrary but also illegal, violating the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, as well as Right to Property guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.
Al Jabri contended that he was in possession of the disputed land for approximately 38 years, supported by a valid sale deed. According to the petition, the authorities initiated steps to take over the land without serving any formal notice, which the petitioner argued undermined his rights as a property owner. Additionally, he asserted that about 15 years ago, the authorities acquired 100 square yards of his land for road expansion but failed to pay any compensation. After hearing the initial arguments, Justice Vinod Kumar directed petitioner to submit relevant documents that support his claims and scheduled the case for further adjudication.
