Justice N Kumar quashed a petition seeking refund of betterment charges filed by Gangaiah Naidu and others. The Court said that the amount already paid should be adjusted towards betterment charges.
The Court, citing the irregularities involved in denotifying the lands, suggested amendments. It observed that the non-collection of betterment tax in respect of a land which is denotified from acquisition is an illegal act. The HC observed, “The land where there is no development at all are dropped from acquisition obviously due to extraneous consideration. Money, power and nearness to the seat of power come into full play behind the scene for dropping acquisition proceedings. Professionals specialised in the art of getting lands denotified, politicians, bureaucrats and land mafia are all partners in it.”