High Court’s Key Orders on Amaravati Land Issue

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has issued key directions to the state government regarding land acquisition for the Amaravati capital project. The court made it clear that no person’s property can be taken away without legal authority. The observations were made during the hearing of an appeal filed by farmer Chodisetti Nirmalatha, who challenged the government’s move to acquire her land. A division bench comprising Justice Ravinath Tilhari and Justice Chintalapudi Purushotham Kumar directed the government to file its response and asked the single judge to decide the related petition within a week. Until then, the court extended the existing status quo orders on the land.

Nirmalatha approached the High Court alleging that the government was attempting to acquire her 65 cents of land in Penumaka village, Guntur district, without paying compensation. The court observed that land acquisition must strictly follow the provisions of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. It stated that the right to property does not depend on the size of the land being acquired and even a small portion cannot be taken without following legal procedures. The court emphasized the need to balance public interest with individual property rights.