The Telangana High Court has set aside a government order (G.O. Ms No. 126 dated December 26, 2021) that had allotted 3.70 acres of prime land in Raidurg to the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC), ruling that the allotment caused financial loss to the public exchequer.
A division bench comprising Justices K. Lakshman and K. Sujana delivered the judgment while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Koti Raghunatha Rao. The petitioner alleged that the government had misused its authority by giving away valuable public land free of cost to IAMC, thereby violating public interest.
The court, in its order, stated:
“G.O. Ms No. 126 dated 26.12.2021 is set aside and consequently, the allotment of land bearing Plot No. 27 admeasuring Ac. 3.70 in Survey No. 83/1, Raidurg village, Serilingampally mandal, Ranga Reddy District in favour of Respondent No. 4 i.e., IAMC, is also set aside.”
The IAMC had been established with the stated objective of promoting institutional arbitration and mediation in India. The foundation stone for the centre was laid in March 2022 by former Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, who also inaugurated the facility alongside then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in December 2021.
