The Telangana High Court has ruled in favour of 320 Telangana Housing Board employees, putting an end to a 25-year legal battle over house plots. The court dismissed government and housing board arguments, directing the registration of plots for all allottees who make the specified payments within four months. The decision also nullified Government Order (GO) 32, which had restricted genuine allottees, providing relief to employees who had been entangled in the dispute since 1986. The verdict addresses concerns over the conversion of allotted plots into flats and marks a significant resolution to a prolonged legal conflict.
In a significant triumph for 320 employees of the Telangana Housing Board, the Telangana High Court delivered a decisive verdict last week, bringing an end to nearly 25 years of legal wrangling over house plots. The court dismissed the arguments put forth by the government and the housing board, issuing a directive to register plots for all allottees upon receipt of the specified payment within the next four months. The High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice NV Shravan Kumar, also nullified Government Order (GO) 32, which had previously restricted genuine allottees. Additionally, the court overturned a previous single judge's order that limited the benefit to a select number of individuals. The legal dispute traces its origins to a scheme initiated by the housing board in 1979 for the allocation of house plots. In 1986, in accordance with a notification, 320 board employees were allotted plots spanning 70,000 square yards. Trouble arose in 2006 when the state decided to convert these allotted plots into flats, prompting all allottees to file a series of writ petitions. A single judge partially granted relief to only 107 employees who had paid the enhanced amount in full, directing the board to register plots exclusively for them. Unsatisfied with this decision, the state and the housing board lodged an appeal, joined by 213 allottees who were denied benefits due to non-payment of the entire enhanced amount. Senior counsel D Prakash Reddy, representing some allottees, argued that the land should not have been converted into flats after individual allocation. He contended that the state government's decision was flawed, arbitrary, and contrary to the recommendations of the cabinet sub-committee. In response, the state's special counsel, Harender Pershad, justified the decision, citing the dwindling availability of land and the necessity to satisfy other stakeholders. In delivering the verdict, Justice Shravan Kumar criticized the state for denying benefits to the allottees, directing the government to hand over the plots to the employees. The High Court's decision marks a landmark resolution to a protracted legal battle, bringing relief to the long-pending concerns of the Telangana Housing Board employees.
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