Andhra high court stays Unitech's Vizag project

In a setback to Haryana-based Unitech Limited, the Andhra Pradesh high court on Monday issued stay orders on the implementation of 1,750- acre Vizag Knowledge City, an integrated township project which was awarded to the company by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) recently.

A division bench comprising Justice Rangarajan and Justice Bilal Nazki issued the above orders while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by Samatha, a non-governmental organisation.

The petitioner argued that the above project was conceived 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.

Meanwhile, another PIL filed by Tammineni Sitaram, a former TDP minister, questioning the APIIC's decision to award the Vizag Knowledge City project as well as the 350-acre Multi-services Aerospace Park at Hyderabad to Unitech Limited, is scheduled for hearing by the high court on Tuesday.

Sitaram in his petition alleged that the company did not fulfil the technical qualifications for the Vizag project.

According to TDP sources, former solicitor-general Soli Sorabjee is expected to argue the case on behalf of the second PIL.