HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE VAKITI RAMAKRISHNA REDDY WRIT PETITION No 16725 OF 2014.

Date: 10.02.2026 Between :

K. Komaraiah and others …. Petitioners AND The District Collector, Karimnagar District, Karimnagar and others ….Respondents

ORDER:

The present writ petition is filed by the writ petitioners herein seeking the following relief:

“For all the reasons stated in the accompanying affidavit, this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to issue an order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ declaring the action of the respondents in not passing any orders considering the representations filed by the petitioners, dated 20-10-2011, for reconveying the land admeasuring 3 Ac 06 guntas in Sy.No.264/C of Cherlapur Village of Bejjanki Mandal of Karimnagar District, in favour of the petitioners as the purpose for which the said land was acquired was over and in similarly situated person favour, the respondent authorities issued proceedings considering the similar request of the petitioners, is nothing but arbitrary, illegal, null and void and also violative of Articles 14, 19, 21 and 300 A of the Constitution of India. Consequently, direct the respondents to consider the representations of the petitioners, dated 20-10-2011, for issuing appropriate proceedings reconveying the land admeasuring 3 Ac 06 guntas in Sy.No.264/C of Cheriapur Village of Bejjanki Mandal of Karimnagar District, till then not to dispossess the petitioners from the said land and to pass such other order or orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper in the interest of justice.”

2. The case of the Petitioners in brief, is that they are the legal heirs of late Sri Kannam Thapalu, who was the absolute owner and possessor of land admeasuring Ac. 3-06 guntas in Sy. No. 264/C, situated at Cherlapur Village, Bejjanki Mandal, Karimnagar District. The said land was acquired by the respondent authorities in the year 1977 for the purpose of construction of Manair Dam. It is further submitted by the petitioners that at the time of acquisition, only part payment of compensation was paid to the petitioners’ father during his lifetime, and that the full and final compensation was never disbursed, either to father of the petitioners or to the petitioners.

3. It is also submitted that, during the construction of Manair Dam, the land of the petitioners was utilized only for temporary purposes, such as storage of construction equipment, and erecting temporary sheds for labourers and supervising officials and that upon completion of the project, the respondent authorities vacated the land by removing all equipment and temporary structures, and that the purpose for which the land was taken ceased to exist.

4. It is the specific case of the petitioners that since the purpose for which the land was acquired is no longer subsisting, it is just and necessary that the respondents be directed to reconvey the land to the petitioners upon receiving the full compensation amount along with applicable interest. The petitioners alleged to have submitted representations dated 20.10.2011 to the respondent authorities seeking reconveyance of acquired land. In this regard, they relied upon a similar instance wherein land admeasuring Ac. 1-01 guntas in Sy. No. 1293 of Metpalli Village, Karimnagar District, belonging to Smt. K. Bhudevi, was reconveyed pursuant to proceedings in Lr. No. D1/681/2005 dated 03.05.2008, upon repayment of the award amount with interest at 15% per annum. The petitioners claim parity and assert that denial of similar treatment is arbitrary.

5. Per contra, the learned Government Pleader appearing for the Respondent contended that the land admeasuring Ac.3-06 guntas in Sy. No. 264/C of Cherlapur Village, Bejjanki Mandal, Karimnagar District, was acquired several decades ago in accordance with due process of law for the purpose of the Lower Manair Dam. An award was duly passed