Telangana HC tells Government to retain petitioners as Chief Promoters

The Telangana High Court directed the State Government to continue the petitioners as Chief Promoters of nine District Fishermen Cooperative Societies, noting that elections had not yet been held. The Court said they must remain in position until the Government issues further orders

By LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

Hyderabad: Justice T Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court directed the State Government to continue the petitioners as Chief Promoters of various District Fishermen Cooperative Societies after it was informed that elections for those societies were not yet conducted.

---

The petition was filed by 10 members from different fishermen societies, challenging G.O.Rt No.60 dated September 3, 2025, and a memo issued on September 16. The petitioners argued that these orders attempted to disturb their existing positions as Chief Promoters and were contrary to an earlier order of the High Court. During the hearing, the Government Pleader for Fisheries placed written instructions before the Court. According to the instructions, elections were not held so far in nine districts — Hanumakonda, Warangal, Mahabubabad, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Wanaparthy, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhongir, Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem. It was also stated that persons in charge for these societies were not appointed, and the petitioners were previously selected as Chief Promoters.

After recording the submissions, the Court directed the authorities to continue the petitioners as Chief Promoters of the nine societies until the Government passed further orders. The matter was posted to December 16.

Landowners get relief as HC pauses Banjara Hills Road No 12 land acquisition process

Hyderabad: Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday issued a two-week stay on the land acquisition notices served on property owners along Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, in connection with the proposed 100 ft and 120 ft master plan roads linking Virinchi Hospital to Jubilee Hills Check Post via KBR Park.

The order came while hearing a writ petition filed by 21 property owners who challenged the notices dated October 1 and September 18 this year issued under Section 15(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Senior counsel P Sri Raghu Ram, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the authorities initiated the Section 15 enquiry without complying with the mandatory publication and procedural requirements under Section 11(1) of the 2013 Act. He told the court that the alleged Section 11 notifications dated 22.08.2025 were neither traceable online nor published in any official gazette, depriving landowners of their right to object. He added that many affected owners were never served notices, yet the authorities scheduled the enquiry for November 19. It was submitted that GHMC had earlier issued notices in 2023 and 2024 regarding the proposed road widening project, but even those communications did not specify proper statutory backing. The present acquisition process, counsel argued, was being undertaken in violation of Sections 11 and 15 of the 2013 Act, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Shiv Singh v State of Himachal Pradesh and Kolkata Municipal Corporation v Bimal Kumar Shah.

The court observed that the material on record showed that the Section 11 notification had not been published as required by law and that the Section 15 notices appeared to have been issued only to select landowners. Justice Shravan Kumar noted that such a process deprived affected parties of their right to file objections and participate in the statutory enquiry. Finding a prima facie case, the court stayed the impugned notices under Section 15(1) for two weeks, limited to the petitioners. The matter was posted to November 24 for further instructions.