HC faults Telangana govt for giving land dirt cheap to director

HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court on Monday sought to know from the state government as to how it could allot a five-acre prime land at Mokilla village in Shankarpalli mandal of Rangareddy district to Telugu film director N Shankar at a throwaway price. A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy was hearing a petition filed by J Shankar, an unemployed youngster of Dharmapuri in Jagtial district, questioning GO No. 75 issued by the municipal administration department on June 21, 2019. The state counsel said the allotment was made after the state cabinet took a decision to this effect. The bench observed that state cannot dole out largesse in the name of cabinet decisions which cannot be abused this way. “Just because the film director promised employment to 300 people, the price of the land cannot come crashing down,” the bench said, while seeking to know the status of the land. The state counsel said that no structures had been raised in the land because a status quo order was issued by the court in the past. “But, land was levelled to some extent prior to this order,” he said. The bench observed that when the HMDA is saying that the price is Rs 2.5 crore per acre, how could the state give away the same for a mere Rs 5 lakh per acre.The bench asked the government to file its counter and adjourned the case to August 27.N Shankar filed a counter urging the bench to vacate the status quo order. He contended that he wants to develop a world-class film studio at the site at a cost of Rs 50 crore. He said the studio will contribute to the growth of the city, adding that the proposed studio would provide direct employment to 300 youngsters.