New Delhi, October 09: The proposed Hyderabad Knowledge City may at last be a reality and serve as a base camp for the likes of Walmart and DLF with the Supreme Court on Friday upholding an AP High Court order, which justified the acquisition of 423.13 acres by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) at Rayadurg in Hyderabad under the Urban Land Ceiling Act.
“It will soon be bustling with activity,” an elated Industries Department Principal Secretary BP Acharya said.
“Walmart, which had inspected the land, is planning to set up its base.
Firms like DLF, My Home and ITC have already purchased land,” he recalled.
The land is situated between Hitec City, Madhapur and Old Bombay Highway and is twice the size of Hitec City and Raheja IT Park put together.
A division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan, pronounced the verdict in favour of the APIIC.
In 1996, the government took possession of the land in Survey No 83/1 under the Urban Land Ceiling Act, following which some people challenged the action in the High Court.
After a protracted legal battle, the High Court gave an order in favour of the APIIC in 2006.
About 25 claimants led by one Omprakash Varma and Anjana Devi then appealed in the Supreme court. The Wakf Board too filed a petition in the High Court claiming part of the land which in turn was transferred to the Supreme Court.
Though the issue was in the court, the APIIC went ahead with development of the land and auctioned about 160 acres in three phases with starting bids of Rs 16 crore, Rs 20 crore and Rs 25 crore. It managed to raise Rs 4,900 crore through the process and handed over the same to the government.
However, the auction had to be stopped later as recession set in. ITC Hotels purchased 5 acres at the rate of Rs 25 crore an acre.
Acharya told Express he had hired the best legal minds in the country to protect the land. “I am happy that I could protect government land worth Rs 10,000 crore. I engaged the then Solicitor General Vahanvati (now Attorney General) to plead our case in the Supreme Court because I did not want to lose the case and cause loss to the government. Now my commitment is vindicated,” he said.
The SC verdict comes as a shot in the arm for the APIIC as it has been mired in controversies of late.
–Agencies