Houses for the poor: HC allows appeal by Andhra Pradesh govt

VIJAYAWADA

: The Andhra Pradesh high court on Tuesday allowed the appeal petition moved by the state government challenging the single judge order on 'Navaratnalu - Pedalandiriki Illu' scheme paving the way for construction of houses in the sites allotted to the landless poor.

As the petitioners submitted that they do not have any problem with the scheme if the government allot house sites to them, the high court, without going into the merits of the single judge order, allowed the appeal petition.

The high court division bench comprising Justice

Ahsanuddin Amanullah

and Justice B Krishna Mohan allowed the petitioners to submit a representation to the authorities for the allotment of house sites.

The high court also directed

Guntur

district collector to consider the application for house sites from the petitioners and take appropriate action in accordance with the law within three weeks.

Single judge order beyond scope of the petition: Govt
Earlier, the high court, after hearing more than 120 petitions challenging certain guidelines of the scheme, had directed the state government not to proceed with the construction of houses without conducting environmental impact assessment.

The high court also directed the state government to consider enhancing the extent of land being given, by taking international standards on minimum space required for construction of houses.

The state government moved the high court with an appeal petition challenging the single judge order. The state government argued that the order given by the single judge was beyond the scope of the petition. When the petitioners moved the high court for house sites, orders were issued stalling the entire scheme on which the state government spent huge public money for the welfare of poor people.

Considering the arguments of the state government, the division bench of the high court observed that because of the high court order, people who benefited from the scheme are being affected. As the petitioners are also not opposing the scheme if their grievance is redressed, the high court allowed the appeal petition filed by the state government.


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