The Telangana High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal challenging a single judge order that refused any interim relief or stay of the large-scale demolition drive at Bhoodan land in Velugumatla village, Khammam district.
Division Bench Ruling
A division bench comprising Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya and Gadi Praveen Kumar, which heard the appeal filed by the petitioners before the single judge, declined to interfere with the orders at the filing stage itself and dismissed the appeal.
Arguments by Appellants
While the appellants argued that the single judge order of March 25 was arbitrary, state counsels countered that Indiramma houses were being sanctioned to eligible persons displaced in the demolition, and that an enquiry was still in process to allot houses to persons listed in the panchanama (inquest) list.
During the hearing, the appellants contended that the dispute related to Bhoodan land, over which the state government had no authority except under the Telangana Bhoodan and Gramdhan Act, 1965. They argued that government departments lacked jurisdiction to issue proceedings in January 2026 through which demolitions were carried out.
They further stated that interim relief should have been granted as the balance of convenience favored the petitioners, alleging that houses of around 1,000 persons were demolished while only 311 pattas were granted, including to persons other than the displaced. It was further contended that pattas were issued under an inapplicable statute and that demolition was followed by allotment to third parties, creating third-party interests. Alleging that the single judge order relied on written instructions from the authorities instead of an affidavit, and declined interim relief citing administrative inconvenience, the appellants urged the court to suspend the single judge order and grant them relief.
State's Response
Opposing the appeal, the state counsel informed the court that based on an enquiry conducted by the revenue authorities, house sites and Indiramma houses had already been allotted in the Bhoodan land itself to 311 persons, and Indiramma houses were allotted to 101 persons in their respective villages. All amenities such as roads, drinking water supply, drainage system, and electricity were also being provided in the layout carved in the Bhoodan land, along with extending 1 lakh each from self-help groups on a reimbursement basis.
