I N THE HI GH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD HON’BLE MRS. JUSTI CE SUREPALLI NANDA WRI T PETI TI ON No.9007 OF 2026 DATE: 26.03.2026 Between :

Kunja Ramu and 39 others … Petitioners And The State of Telangana, Rep. by its Principal Secretary, Environment, Forests, Science & Technology, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Secretariat, Hyderabad and 5 others … Respondents

ORDER

Heard Sri B.Ramulu, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Forest appearing on behalf of the respondent Nos.1, 4 and 5, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Revenue appearing on behalf of the respondent No.2 and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Social Welfare appearing on behalf of the respondent No.3.

2. The petitioner approached the Court seeking prayer as under:

“…to issue an appropriate Writ Order or Direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents, particularly Respondent Nos.4 and 5, in obstructing the execution of the sanctioned electrification works, namely erection of poles, laying of cables, and laying of electrical lines through the existing road as arbitrary illegal and violative of Articles 14, 21 and 46 of the Constitution of India, apart from being contrary to the V Schedule of the Constitution and the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and consequently direct the respondents not to interfere with the implementation of the electrification project sanctioned under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) Scheme, pursuant to proceedings vide Letter No.AE/OP/Karakagudem/F No ITDA/D No.286/25-26, dated 12.11.2025 and pass…”

3. The case of the petitioner in brief as per the averments made in the affidavit filed by the petitioner in support of the present Writ Petition is as under:-

i) The petitioners are residents of Angarugudem Tribal Village, a Scheduled Area, and are dependent upon agriculture, forest produce and daily wage labour. The village lacks basic infrastructure, especially electricity.

ii) Upon petitioners’ representations, electrification works were sanctioned under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) Scheme. The project involves erection of poles and laying of electrical lines along an existing road without causing any ecological damage.

iii) However, respondent Nos.4 and 5 (Forest Officials) are obstructing the execution of the sanctioned works without any valid reason. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioners approached this Court by filing the present writ petition.

DI SCUSSI ON AND CONCLUSI ON:

4. The petitioners, in the present writ petition, seek direction to the District Collector for consideration of the grievance of the petitioners as put forth by petitioners’ vide representation dated 02.03.2026. Vide the said representation, the petitioners sought intervention of respondent Nos.2, 3, 5 and 6, for resolving the problems of the petitioners herein, by giving appropriate directions to all the concerned Authorities, to implement the sanctioned electrification works immediately and to ensure justice to the petitioners herein.

5. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners places reliance on the proceedings vide Lr.No.CE(P)/GM(P)/DE(P1)/ADE(P2)/F./D.No.1293/25, dated 04.08.2025 of the Chief Engineer Projects, TGNPDCL, Vidhyuth Bhavan, Hanamkonda, addressed to M/s. Anantha Rama, Constech Pvt. Ltd, Nakkalagutta Water Tank, Hanamkonda and also the proceedings of the Assistant Engineer Operation, Karakagudem, addressed to the Project Officer, ITDA/Bhadrachalam vide letter No.AE/OP/Karakagudem/F.No: ITDA/D.No.286/25-26, dated 12.11.2025 in support of petitioners case and contends that directions were passed to proceed with the subject works. A detailed representation dated 02.03.2026 had been addressed by the petitioner to respondent No.2 herein, seeking non-interference by the respondents