In a huge setback to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSRCP government, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday issued interim orders staying the construction of houses for the economically weaker section in R5 zone of Amaravati Capital region.

On July 24 the chief minister had laid the foundation for 47,000 houses for the economically weaker section despite objections raised by Amaravati farmers who had given up their land in the TDP regime for the construction of a greenfield capital for the state which was left without a capital city following bifurcation. The matter is pending with the Supreme Court after the state government moved the apex court following a high court ruling in favour of the farmers, directing the state government to complete construction of the capital city within six months.

The Supreme Court had stayed the order of HC but the chief minister went ahead and announced a housing project for the economically weaker section in Amaravati. The state government had made changes in the Amaravati Master Plan last year in order to include R5 zone where poor people would be given house pattas for constructing affordable houses.
However, on Thursday the bench comprising Justice Mr DVSS Somayajulu, Justice Mr Cheekati Manavendranath Roy and Justice Mr Ravi Nath Tilhari considered that allowing further construction of houses in R-5 zone will be against larger public interest.

The court felt if the construction of the houses were completed before the dispute was resolved in the apex court it will be a “fait accompli” and decided to maintain status quo. “In the opinion of this court it is in everybody’s interest to maintain the status quo with respect to the house construction in R-5 zone till a finality is reached in the litigation,” read the court’s directive. It further read, “Depending on the further orders passed by the courts, including the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India further steps can be taken, but for now there shall be an interim stay of construction of the houses in R-5 zone.”
TDP had accused the YSRCP government of distributing pattas among the poor hailing from outside to build up their own votebank in the region before polls.