PIL against allotment of land to YSRCP lacks merit: HC

Vijayawada: Without challenging the order issued by the state government notifying the policy to allot land to political parties, the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed challenging the land allotment to YSRCP lacked merits, said the high court on Tuesday. The high court observed that a GO issued in 2016 was in force according to which four acres of land can be given to YSRCP whereas in the case under question only two acres have been allotted.One Buraka Sribalaji Karunasri moved the high court challenging the allotment of two acres of land at Machilipatnam for the construction of YSRCP party office.Arguing on behalf of the petitioner, Ancha Pandu Rangarao said the GO issued by the state government allotting land to YSRCP was in violation of Board Standing Orders (BSO). He said that according to the BSO, government lands should be allotted to only public purposes but not for the construction of political party offices. The high court bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice N Jayasurya asked Pandu Ranga Rao who the petitioner was and whose interests he was trying to protect through the petition.Rao submitted the GO 340 issued in 2016 according to which the political party which secured more than 50 per cent of the assembly seats can be given four acres of land for its party office. The high court observed that when the GO is in force, what is the illegality in allocating land to YSRCP party. If the petitioner is having any grievance against allocation of land to political parties, he should challenge the GO first. As the counsel for petitioner sought time to get instructions for amendment of prayer, HC posted the matter for further hearing after summer vacation.