SC stays HC order on Manikonda Wakf land
The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave an interim relief to the state government and several corporate entities, as it issued a stay on AP High Court’s order barring the company from continuing construction at its township project in Manikonda. On April 3, the High Court had dismissed writ petitions filed by the state government, AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation and leading infrastructure development firm Lanco Hills Ltd challenging a notification declaring 1,600 acres in Manikonda village as belonging to Dargah Hussain Shah Vali, and thereby Wakf Board property.
The court also dismissed civil revision petitions filed by the government and Lanco against an AP Wakf Tribunal order granted last year against construction on the contentious piece of land. The court directed the government, APIIC and other allottees not to alienate, alter or sell those pieces of land.
The HC order meant Lanco and others would have had to stop work, including construction and selling of the land, following the Wakf Tribunal’s injunction. The government and Lanco subsequently moved the apex court. The government told the SC that the land was allotted to various companies through competitive bidding and assured the court that the government will adequately compensate AP Wakf Board if it emerges that the land belongs to it.
Granting an interim stay on the High Court order, and the Wakf Tribunal’s injunction, the Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices K.S. Radha Krishnan and Dipak Mishra took note of the government’s assurance and allowed Lanco to proceed with construction. The case was posted to August.
Reacting to the interim relief, Lanco Infratech Limited’s chairman, L. Madhusudhan Rao, said, “We are pleased (with the apex court’s ruling). This order has removed all hurdles for Lanco Hills towards developing the project.” Lanco had obtained around 100 acres through bidding, initiated by the state government, at Rs 4.27 crore per acre for the Rs 5,000-crore township project. The government had allotted land to Microsoft, Infosys, Polaris, ISB, Wipro, Emaar and others in Manikonda.
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