Telangana High Court allows Hyderabad Metro Phase-II land acquisition to resume

The Story in Brief

The Telangana High Court has allowed Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML) to resume land acquisition for the Metro Phase-II project, vacating a January 2025 stay. Justice NV Shravan Kumar ruled that the acquisition process may continue strictly according to law, though the legality of the proceedings will be examined at the final hearing.

The dispute involves land for the MGBS-to-Chandrayangutta route through the Old City. Eight petitioners, mostly shop and property owners, alleged the government was acquiring far more land from the left side of the road than the right, and offered compensation as low as Rs 26,000-Rs 81,000 per square yard against a market value of Rs 3-4 lakh per square yard. HAML countered that the alignment follows the approved master plan, an equal split was impossible due to uneven construction, and over 300 of the 357 affected owners had already accepted compensation. The court said it would not second-guess technical alignment decisions and that blocking the project would harm the public interest.