As expected, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the state high court judgement granting stay on the construction of houses for the poor in R-5 zone of Amaravati capital region.
The SLP was admitted by the Supreme Court and it is expected to come up for discussion on Friday this week or early next week.
The government is expected to put up a strong argument in defence of its decision to construct the houses for the poor.
At the same time, the farmers of Amaravati also filed a caveat petition and so, the Supreme Court would have to first hear their version before taking up hearing on the SLP of the state government.
Sources said the government is expected to argue that since the Supreme Court had given the green signal for allotment of housing plots to the poor belonging to other districts in Amaravati, it automatically gives an authority to construct houses for them.
“The state government fully takes up the responsibility of the housing scheme, since it is bearing the entire expenditure without any central assistance. It would be held responsible to whatever the outcome of the judgement on Amaravati,” sources said.
On August 3, three-member bench of the high court comprising Justices D V S S Somayajulu, Cheekati Manavendranath Roy and Ravi Nath Tilhari questioned the provision of houses for the people from outside Amaravati.
It pointed out that the issue of Amaravati capital was pending hearing in the Supreme Court and hence, allotment of land for the housing scheme for the poor was subject to the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement.
The bench pointed out that the patta (title deed) given to the people for the house site itself says further action will be taken in accordance with the final orders pending before the high court and Supreme Court.
“It shows the construction in the house site can only be after final orders,” the bench said.
“If the construction is completed, it will be a fait accompli. The loss will be irreparable. The enormous amount of the public funds now proposed to be spent cannot be recouped if the judgement was against the government,” the bench said.
On July 24, chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy laid foundation stone for the construction of a massive housing colony of 50,793 houses for the poor at Krishanayapalem village in the core area of Amaravati at a cost of Rs Rs 1829.57 crore, including Rs 384.42 crore on creating infrastructure facilities like roads, electricity and drinking water.
“Amaravati belongs to all, not a few sections of rich farmers,” the chief minister said then.