Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has refused to stay the acquisition of properties required for the Metro Rail project in Nampally area. Several property owners had moved the court seeking to stay the acquisition of their properties in view of the state government’s proposal to change the alignment of Metro Rail network.

Justice P. Naveen Rao was disposing off a batch of petitions by one Anitha Tholia and others seeking to direct the Metro land acquisition officer to determine the compensation for their properties in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and also keep in abeyance the acquisition of their properties in view of proposed change in alignment.

The petitioners submitted that the state government has announced that it has proposed to change the alignment of the Metro. They said if alignment is changed, then there will be no need to acquire the properties. The Metro Rail authorities, however, submitted that even if the Metro is diverted in Nampally area, the properties will be required for widening of the road to accommodate growing traffic needs.

After hearing the case, the judge said: “It is premature for the Court to go into that issue merely based on the press release of the intention of the state government to change the alignment.”