Telangana HC pulls up Finance secretary over vague affidavit in land compensation case

Hyderabad: Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court has strongly criticised the State’s finance principal secretary for filing an affidavit that failed to clearly specify a timeline for payment of compensation under the Land Acquisition Act.

The court took exception to the statement that the dues would be cleared “as per ways and means”, terming it vague and indicative of continued non-compliance despite repeated opportunities granted earlier.

Decades-long wait for compensation

The observations came while hearing a contempt petition filed by Kurva Veeresamma and others, who alleged wilful disobedience of court orders issued in April 2025. Those orders had directed the state to deposit around Rs 45 crore—the decretal amount for land acquired—within four months.

The petitioners submitted that their agricultural land in Jogulamba Gadwal district was acquired for the construction of a reservoir under the Jawahar lift irrigation scheme. They informed the court that only Rs 10 crore had been paid so far, while a substantial balance remained pending.

Justice Shravan Kumar noted with concern that the affected landowners had been waiting for decades after the acquisition, underscoring the prolonged delay in disbursal of compensation.

Court questions repeated delays

During the hearing, an application was moved seeking exemption from personal appearance of the finance principal secretary, Sandeep Kumar Sultana, an IAS officer. The plea was supported by an affidavit stating that the remaining payment would be made based on “ways and means”.

The court found the explanation unsatisfactory, pointing out that the affidavit did not mention any specific date or timeline for clearing the dues. It also observed that the authorities had sought extensions on multiple occasions, citing different reasons, without complying with the court’s directions.

Taking note of the conduct, the judge granted one final opportunity to the State and directed the personal appearance of the principal secretary. The matter has been posted for final hearing on Monday.