Telangana HC asks govt to decide on benefits to statehood agitationists within 8 weeks

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has directed the state government to decide within eight weeks on applications filed by nine statehood movement participants seeking land allotment, financial assistance, and health insurance benefits.

However, the Court declined to issue any blanket order directing implementation of the claimed promises, leaving it to the Government to examine and decide the applications in accordance with law.

On Monday, the Court disposed of the writ petition filed by Gollapally Nagaraju of Lalaguda, Secunderabad, and eight others who claimed to have actively participated in the Telangana statehood movement.

Claims of agitation participation

The petitioners submitted that they had taken part in the agitation that ultimately led to the formation of Telangana and had even undergone imprisonment during the course of the movement.

They contended that the state government had assured certain benefits to agitation participants, including allotment of a 250-square-yard house site, ₹5 lakh financial assistance for house construction under a government housing scheme, and health insurance coverage of ₹10 lakh.

Seeking enforcement of these assurances, they approached the High Court for appropriate directions.

Court questions scope of relief

During the hearing, the Single Bench comprising Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy expressed reservations about the breadth and practical implications of the relief sought.

The Court observed that thousands of advocates practising in various courts, including those in Ranga Reddy district, had also participated in the Telangana agitation and contributed financially to the movement. It questioned whether all such individuals would qualify for similar benefits.

The Bench further noted that lakhs of citizens had participated in major protest events such as the ‘Million March’, raising concerns about the feasibility of extending land allotment and other benefits to all participants.

Concern over public funds and litigation

The Court also remarked that welfare measures involve utilisation of taxpayers’ money and cautioned that judicial directions in such matters could potentially open the floodgates for similar claims across the State.

Entertaining such petitions, the Bench observed, may result in an influx of writ petitions seeking comparable benefits.

Applications to be examined

Taking these aspects into account, the High Court refrained from issuing a general direction to implement the claimed assurances.

Instead, it directed the State Government to consider the petitioners’ applications, which had already been forwarded to the authorities, and pass appropriate orders within eight weeks in accordance with the law.