Telangana High Court quashes Tellapur land acquisition

The Telangana High Court has quashed land acquisition proceedings for 92.39 acres in Tellapur village, involving several survey numbers including 333, 334, 335, 341, 342, 343, 363, 364, and 368. The ruling addressed a 2006 notification and a 2007 declaration originally issued by the former Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) for the purpose of township development and future projects.

Justice Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy ruled that the stated purpose of the acquisition was too vague to be valid, noting that general terms like “development of a township and future projects” do not provide sufficient specificity for landowners to exercise their statutory right to object. The court further found that the mandatory inquiry under Section 5A of the Land Acquisition Act was treated as a mere formality, as objections were rejected without meaningful consideration of the land's history or adequate reasoning.

The court also noted a failure to comply with Section 18 of the Andhra Pradesh Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975, as no evidence was produced to show the government had formally formed an opinion that the land was required for development. While the current proceedings are set aside, the government maintains the liberty to initiate fresh acquisition proceedings provided they strictly follow legal provisions and provide specific reasons.