HC issues notice on Vizag Knowledge City

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to file a counter affidavit within two weeks in the matter of awarding the 1,750-acre Vizag Knowledge City project as well as the 350-acre Multi-services Aerospace Park at Hyderabad to Unitech Limited while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by former TDP minister T Sitaram.

Appearing before the court for the PIL, former solicitor general Soli Sorabji argued that awarding the project to Unitech by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) was irregular because the company was technically not qualified.

He also said the APIIC had created a monopoly situation to favour Unitech besides selling the land at a throwaway price.

Unitech's counsel and former additional attorney general Mukul Rastogi said the PIL was filed by vested interests and there was no truth in the allegations of the petitioner's lawyer.

While refusing to issue interim orders, staying the decision to award the project to Unitech as requested by Sorabji, the division bench comprising Chief Justice GS Singhvi and CV Nagarjuna Reddy, adjourned the hearing to November 15, 2007, and served notices to the government to file a counter affidavit on the issues levelled by the petitioner in this regard.

The court had on Monday stayed implementation of the Vizag project while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by Samatha, a non-governmental organisation, on grounds that it is in violation of GO 913, an order issued in the past by the state government for the protection of hilly areas from destruction by human intervention.