In a surprising decision, the Supreme Court on Monday nullified the Telangana government's order allotting residential plots to MLAs, MPs, journalists, and civil servants within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.
The verdict is a significant blow to journalists and others who had been eagerly awaiting land allotments for housing.
A division bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna quashed all government orders (GOs) related to these discretionary land allotments.
The court also directed the Telangana government to refund the amounts paid by cooperative societies for these plots, along with interest.
The interest rate is to be determined jointly by the state government and the Reserve Bank of India.
The issue dates back to 2008, when the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government allocated land within GHMC limits to cooperative societies.
These societies included members such as MLAs, MLCs, MPs, IAS, IPS, IRS officers, journalists, and even high court judges.
Civil society groups challenged the land allotment, and the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down the GOs in 2010.
The Telangana government and the cooperative societies then approached the Supreme Court to appeal the ruling.
In 2022, Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal argued before the Supreme Court that discretionary land allotments in urban areas to politicians, judges, and others should be prohibited.
He emphasized the need for a uniform land allotment policy to prevent arbitrary decisions that could be perceived as granting undue favors.
The Supreme Court's latest ruling reinforces the stand against discretionary land allotments, signaling a move toward greater transparency and fairness in land distribution.