Overview
- Rejecting appeals filed 460–488 days late, a division bench dismissed the state’s challenge in the 6.22‑acre Manikonda case and left intact directions to allot alternate land or restart acquisition under the 2013 RFCTLARR Act.
- The court said the government cannot claim a separate limitation period, found election duties no excuse for delay, and stressed that officials must be procedurally competent and technology‑literate.
- On HMDA’s Budvel sale, the bench suspended a single judge’s cancellation order only to the extent it set aside the August 10, 2023 e‑auction, allowing the process to continue without declaring a highest bidder or taking follow‑on steps.
- The Ranga Reddy collector must hear private claimants and issue a reasoned decision by December 12–15, 2025, with any final state action on the auction deferred until after December 31; related appeals are slated for early January 2026.
- In a separate ruling, the bench castigated a competent officer for 25 years of inaction on an evacuee property application, dismissed his appeal as meritless, and upheld costs, underscoring its push for administrative accountability.