Amaravati, May 5 (IANS): The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday refused to pass interim orders on a petition filed by farmers of Amaravati challenging the state government's move to allot house sites in the capital region to non-locals.
The High Court declined to stay the process of allotment but said the allotment of house sites will be subject to final judgment in the case.
The state government declared a new zone R-5-in Amaravati in March to provide houses for poor people over 900 acres of land.
The move has angered the farmers who are already protesting the decision of the state government to develop three state capitals.
Amaravati farmers' Joint Action Committee (JAC) said the decision was taken without consulting the farmers. They challenged it in the High Court on the ground that this would change the status of the capital region and affect their interests.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari, however, refused to give any interim directions on the petition.
The farmers challenged the allotment house sites in violation of the master plan. They argued that locals should be allotted the sites after development of the region.
The government defended its action. It argued that farmers can demand lands assured to them by the government but it has the right to allot land to anybody. The court was told that the government has taken a decision to allot land to the poor.
It was in October last year that the government had amended the Amaravati master plan in order to provide houses to poor people over 900 acres of land spread across four villages.
The farmers had challenged the amendment in the court and, on the direction of the court, authorities had organised a meeting in the villages. Farmers had totally opposed the order.
However, ignoring the objection of farmers, the government went ahead by issuing a gazette in March.
Earlier efforts by the government to allot lands proved futile as pro-Amaravati farmers had filed a petition and the High Court cancelled the order. Following this, the YSRC government amended the APCRDA Act to provide house sites.
The new zone-R-5-in the capital region will be within the boundaries of Krishnayapalem, Nidamarru, Kuragallu in Mangalagiri mandal, Manddam and Ainavolu villages in Thullur mandal.