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Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Unduly hasty': Telangana High Court cancels BRS government's free land allotment to IAMC
Underlining that bona fide intentions do not justify illegal means, the Telangana High Court on Friday struck down the state government's allotment of 3.7 acres of land to the International Arbitration and Media Centre (IAMC) set up by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana. 'It is axiomatic that in order to achieve a bona fide end, the means must also justify the end. This Court is of the opinion that bona fide ends cannot be achieved by questionable means, especially when the State is involved. This Court has not been able to get any answer from the State why on a request by the allottee to the Hon'ble Minister for Urban Development, the Government granted the allotment with remarkable speed and without considering all aspects of the matter,' the court said. The IAMC was established in 2021 in Hyderabad to promote alternative dispute resolution. As a sitting CJI, Justice Ramana authored the trust deed for setting up the 'charitable public trust'. Former Supreme Court judges R V Raveendran and L Nageswara Rao were named as life trustees, while a Telangana state minister and the Telangana High Court Chief Justice were named as ex-officio trustees. A bench of Justices K Lakshman and K Sujana criticised the government for the arbitrary allotment of land with 'undue haste'. 'We would also like to point out that the conduct of the government in allotting the land was unduly hasty. It is noteworthy that possession certificate was issued in favour of the IAMC even before formulating and communicating the terms of allotment. Such hasty decisions do not bode well and often result in exercise of power contrary to the procedure. Discretionary exercise of power shall not only be fair and transparent, but also should be seen to be fair and transparent,' the court said. The land, allotted free of cost by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti government, is in Serilingampally, a revenue sub-division that also houses tech corridors, including HITEC City and Gachibowli. However, the current Congress government also defended the allotment. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is on the three-member board of trustees. The court cancelled the land allotment on the grounds that the IAMC was not eligible for free allotment of land as a 'private body'. The court held that the allotment was contrary to the rules of the Telangana Urban Areas Development Act, 1975, which provides that government land can only be disposed by way of sale or exchange or lease or public auction. The court said that the rules provide that allotment in favour of a private body can only be made if such a body is registered under the Companies Act. It then noted that, as on the date of allotment, the IAMC was not registered as a company. The court also held that, as per a 2012 government land allotment policy, land can be allotted only on market value, with free allotment contemplated only for state government departments and below poverty line families. While the IAMC argued that it was a 'public charitable trust,' the petitioners challenging the allotment argued that the body was making profits and earning remuneration. 'A private body like the IAMC can only be done for a public purpose and after collecting the applicable market value,' the high court said. Apurva Vishwanath is the National Legal Editor of The Indian Express in New Delhi. She graduated with a B.A., LL. B (Hons) from Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow. She joined the newspaper in 2019 and in her current role, oversees the newspapers coverage of legal issues. She also closely tracks judicial appointments. Prior to her role at the Indian Express, she has worked with ThePrint and Mint. ... Read More
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Telangana HC cancels land allotment to International arbitration centre; says govt acted in haste, land grant violated rules
HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court on Friday set aside a 2021 govt order that allotted 3.70 acres of prime land in Hyderabad's upscale Raidurg area free of cost to the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The centre was initiated and backed by former chief justice of India, Justice N V Ramana. A division bench of Justice K Lakshman and Justice K Sujana said the state govt displayed undue haste in the allotment. The previous BRS govt had allotted land on Dec 26, 2021. The bench was hearing two PILs challenging the allotment and the financial assistance of Rs 3 crore annually to the centre. At the time, the state had also decided to get all disputes arising from its tenders and other commercial deals necessarily referred to the centre. The bench ruled that the allotment violated the Telangana Land Revenue Act and the Andhra Pradesh Alienation of State Lands Rules, 1975, which mandate market-value payment for land given to private entities. The mediation centre, not being a statutory body or registered under the Companies Act, was deemed ineligible for free land. The bench, however, agreed with the view that the institutional arbitration must be promoted by govts and upheld the state's decision to give an annual financial assistance of Rs 3 crore and automatic reference of disputes. The judges added a rider that the state must review the performance of the centre every year after the passage of five years. HC flags centre's poor performance The two PILs were filed by Koti Raghunath Rao, an advocate from Hyderabad, and A Venkatarami Reddy, a retired govt employee. Senior counsel S Satyam Reddy appeared for one petitioner and questioned the state's support to the centre, which he described as a private trust. Low caseload a concern, says high court The Telangana high court, in its order expressed concern over the poor performance of the mediation centre. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We would like to express our concern regarding the performance of the IAMC and its future." the judges said. "The statistics of the IAMC were placed before this Court. It was stated that as on 29.01.2025 only 15 arbitration cases were conducted by the IAMC. Out of the said 15 cases, 11 arbitration cases were conducted pro-bono." The high court bench pointed out that overall only 57 mediation cases were conducted by the centre, of which 17 were pro-bono. "The abysmally low caseload raises concerns regarding the future sustenance of the IAMC on its own. The govt, as a part of its policy, can provide financial assistance to a new institution like the IAMC. However, such financial assistance to a private arbitral institution cannot be perpetual," the bench added.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Telangana HC cancels land allotment to international arbitration centre in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Telangana HC Friday set aside a 2021 order of the previous BRS govt that had allotted 3.7 acres of prime land in Hyderabad's upscale Raidurg area free of cost to International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC). The centre was initiated and backed by former CJI N V Ramana. A division bench of Justices K Lakshman and K Sujana was hearing two PILs challenging the allotment of land and the financial assistance of Rs 3 crore annually to IAMC. HC noted that state govt had displayed undue haste in the allotment, violating Telangana Land Revenue Act and Andhra Pradesh Alienation of State Lands Rules, 1975, which mandate market-value payment for land given to private entities. It, however, agreed with the view that institutional arbitration must be promoted by govts and upheld the state's decision to give an annual financial assistance of Rs 3 crore.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Anantharamudu receives Teluguvan Spurthi Award
Anantapur: On the completion of 25 years of Teluguvan, an organisation that made a name for itself in the digital media sector, the Teluguvan Inspiration Awards were presented at a function held in Hyderabad to those who have rendered outstanding services in their chosen fields, with a social conscience and a constant concern for public welfare. In this programme, Mullaguru Anantharamudu, chairman of Anantalakshmi Group of Educational Institutions and President of Anantapur District Orchard Association, received the award in the agricultural expert category from Justice NV Ramana, Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Tridandi Chinna Jiyar Swamy and Raghurama Krishnam Raju, Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, in recognition of his outstanding services in the field of agriculture. On this occasion, Vice Chairman of Ananthalakshmi Group of Educational Institutions, Mullaguru Ramesh Naidu, the teaching and non-teaching staff congratulated Mullaguru Anantharamudu.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘One of the last remaining spaces of hope': Ex-CJI N V Ramana says ‘unwarranted attacks' on judiciary impact people's trust
The judiciary is 'one of the last remaining spaces of hope for the common man,' former Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said on Wednesday, adding that 'unwarranted attacks on this institution affect the very foundation of people's trust'. Justice (retd) Ramana made the remarks while speaking at the release of his book titled Narratives off the Bench – A Judge Speaks, a compilation of his speeches, at the Delhi High Court. 'When the rank and file of the judiciary are assured that the highest judicial institution stands firm to safeguard their rights and redress their grievances, they are less likely to seek support from other sources such as political and executive powers,' he said. 'As elder brothers and sisters in the judicial family, the honourable judges of the Supreme Court have a moral and institutional duty to look after all the judges of the country…the SC must ensure that the judges feel supported and secure in their roles. The higher judiciary must lead with care and compassion while nurturing a judicial culture rooted in dignity, integrity, and solidarity,' he added. CJI-designate B R Gavai and Justices Vikram Nath and Surya Kant were also present at the book release function. Justice Kant emphasised that public engagements by judges reinforce judicial accountability and shape and influence public opinion. 'When judges share their insights and opinions in public forums, they perform a vital democratic function. From the dais, they demystify the law, however, in public forums or public engagements, judges actually engage with the public on their concerns and pressing issues that may not have reached the courtrooms, but which still impact the entire nation. In these moments, the public sees them not only as arbiters of disputes but as the true custodians of the Constitution,' Justice Kant said. Emphasising the need for such public engagement, Justice Kant added, 'Public engagement by judges reinforces judicial accountability. The challenges confronting our judicial system – from case backlogs to infrastructure deficiencies – are not abstract policy concerns, they are real problems which impact the daily lives of our citizens. When judges speak candidly about these systemic hurdles, their voices lend weight to the calls for reform, their voices inspire action, not only in the legal community but across the border and larger fabric of the society.' 'The old adage that 'judges speak only through their judgments', in my opinion, is perhaps only partially true in today's world…speaking about issues such as the value of education, judicial reforms and rights of marginalised communities, judges can pave the way for change in societal outlook. When someone in a position of great responsibility speaks about ideals and principles that are meant to engage society, they influence public opinion and perception. They can make certain ideals more palatable, and over time, these ideals can become the new reality,' he added.
