Andhra Pradesh High Court has annulled the proceedings and notices served by the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA), cancelling the plots allotted to the farmers, who parted with their agricultural lands. The High Court observed that the APCRDA’s decision to cancel the plots given to the farmers was against the principles of natural justice.
The farmers, Kondepati Aruna, and others challenged the CRDA’s decision to cancel the plots allotted to them previously and allot the plots at some other place. A single judge gave interim orders directing the CRDA to hold the decision until the judgment was pronounced.
Subsequently, the State government challenged the interim orders. Hearing the petitions, the High Court, on Tuesday, ruled in favour of the capital region farmers, declaring the cancellation notices issued by the Commissioner and Deputy Tahsildar invalid.
The High Court observed that the CRDA and the State government did not follow the act. The officials have failed to follow the laid down rules, regulations and acts. The CRDA decisions were likely to lead to civil disputes. Also, the CRDA did not seek objections from the farmers before cancelling the plots allotted to them. It was against the principles of natural justice.
The officials should have taken the farmers’ objections into consideration after serving notices. The CRDA should issue fresh notices, citing the reasons for the cancellation of the plots. The farmers should be given a time of two weeks to respond, and also access to necessary documents to the petitions, the court said.
