Andhra Pradesh Farmers Protest Polavaram Project

[Spartan]

The farmers whose lands are likely to be acquired for the Polavaram project have  approached the Hyderabad High Court challenging the AP government notification issued under Section 11 (1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land  Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

 

The AP government issued the notification proposing to acquire lands for the purpose of constructing the right main canal of Polavaram from 143.600 km to 144.340 km to transport the Godavari water through the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme to Krishna River.

 

A. Mohan Rao and other farmers of Krishna district contended that the government has no powers to issue such a notification under the Act as the Polavaram project has been declared a national project. They said the Centre has got exclusive jurisdiction over the project and there is no requisition or authorisation from it.

 

HC to examine habeas question

 

The HC has decided to examine the question whether a habeas corpus plea can be entertained by courts in cases where persons were detained under the Preventive Detention Act. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice  Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt, while dealing with two writ petitions seeking a habeas corpus order, asked the AP advocate general and the petitioners’ counsel to place previous judgements for taking up cases of  detention under habeas corpus laws. 

 

P. Venugopal, the Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh said a division bench had made it clear that cases of  detention should be challenged through writ petitions only. Former Advocate General C.V. Mohan Reddy, appearing for the petitioners, said that in cases of detention habeas corpus petitions were being filed and it has become a convention.