Wednesday, July 15, 2009

APIIC clears its stand on forest land

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad,July 14: The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has informed the AP High Court that 4,067 acres of forest land at Mamidipally and Kancha Imarath in Ranga Reddy district were de-reserved for non-forest purpose before the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 came into force.

The APIIC allotted part of this land to various hardware and software projects and a Gems Special Economic Zone and other institutions like Indu Techzone Pvt Ltd, Brahmini Infratech Pvr Ltd, HCL Info Systems, Aga Khan Foundation, JT Holdings and five other projects.

A public interest litigation was filed against the allotments contending that the government allotted lands without prior permission from the Centre. The Forum for Better Hyderabad filed the petition seeking a direction to declare the allotments as illegal.

Refuting the petitioner’s contentions, the APIIC said that the Mamidipally block was de-reserved in 1974 and the lands situated at Kancha Imarath are not forest land and have been used for non-forest purpose for over three decades.

The APIIC told the court that 1,000 acres were given for the Shamshabad Airport and 2,500 acres were given to the Research Centre Imarat in the blocks. The corporation has decided to develop a hardware park on the remaining land. It allotted 1,109 acres in April 2000 to Catalytic Software Limited , Millennium Appliances India Ltd, Astra Microwave Products Ltd and Hyderabad Gems SEZ Ltd.


Action sought on overloading

A writ petition was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday seeking a direction to the authorities concerned to initiate action on the illegal transport of overloaded vehicles on roads and highways.

Northern Sand and Bricks Lorry Owners’ Association represented by its president, Mr T. Raja Malla Reddy, filed the petition stating that several lorries are transporting sand in overloaded trucks from Medak, Nizamabad , Adilabad, Karimnagar and Krishna districts to the city every day. The petitioner alleged that neither the transport authorities nor the mines and geology department bothered to take action against the violators of rules.

He said that they submitted several representations to the authorities concerned, but they did not take any action against the violators.

HC stays land acquisition

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday stayed the land acquisition proceedings pertaining to 24 acres in Chinaganjam mandal of Prakasam district.

The authorities were acquiring the land for the proposed Vadarevu and Nizampatnam Ports Industrial Corridor Project (Vanpic).

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