Petition on IAF land acquisition dismissed

Hyderabad: Justice Nooty Ram Mohan Rao of the High Court at Hyderabad on Thursday dismissed a batch of writ petitions questioning the action of the land acquisition by the Air Force at Dundigal in Medak district. B. Balamma and others residents of Dacharam village of the district filed the petitions. They complained that the Air Force had illegally evicted them without paying any compensation. When the judge examined the records, he observed that 1,492 acres land was lying outside the secure fence of the Air Force.

The judge said that the petitioners had wrong impression that those lands had not been acquired and hence, were not fenced by Air Force Academy. “The fact remains that the land lying outside the secure fence of AFA also stood acquired long time back and compensation was paid pursuant to the award passed long ago,” the judge said. He directed the district collector not to entertain any such petitions for compensation and directed him to return Rs 7.2 crores to the Defence Estate Officer, Secunderabad, which were deposited to pay compensation. The judge also directed the Estate Officer to retain money for a period of three years.