Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on what it termed a “perfunctory” and “leisurely” approach adopted by two senior IAS officers in implementing court orders and directed them to personally appear before it in a contempt case. Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar issued summons to IAS officers Navin Mittal and Sandeep Kumar Jha, directing them to be present before the Court on March 24, 2026, to explain their failure to comply with its earlier directions.
The contempt proceedings arise from the prolonged non-payment of land acquisition compensation to an elderly petitioner, despite repeated judicial interventions.
Contempt Case Linked to Land Acquisition Compensation
The case pertains to compensation for land owned by 74-year-old Bommena Ramavva, a resident of Kodurupaka village in Boinpally mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district. Her land, measuring Ac.0.14 guntas, was acquired by the State Government in 2010 under the Mid Manair Reservoir Project.
Despite the acquisition taking place nearly 15 years ago, compensation for the land has not been paid to the petitioner. Compounding the issue, the land has reportedly remained submerged under the Mid Manair Reservoir since August 14, 2024, depriving the petitioner of both land use and compensation.
Read also: Telangana High Court Directs UPSC to Process State’s DGP Appointment Recommendations Within 4 Weeks
Failure to Act Despite Court Orders
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar, while hearing the contempt petition, observed that the officials had shown a lack of seriousness in implementing the court’s orders. The High Court had earlier, on December 29, 2025, directed the concerned authorities to implement its directions and ensure payment of compensation to the petitioner.
However, the Court noted that the orders were not complied with. The officials cited their transfer from the respective posts as the reason for non-implementation. The Court was not convinced by this explanation.
At the time the original court orders were passed, Navin Mittal (IAS: 1996 batch, Telangana cadre) was serving as the Revenue Secretary, while Sandeep Kumar Jha (IAS: 2014 batch, Telangana cadre) was the District Collector of Rajanna Sircilla district.
Court Holds Officials Accountable
The single bench observed that both officers were holding the relevant positions when the court directions were issued and were specifically responsible for implementing them. This included passing the necessary award and ensuring that the compensation amount was disbursed to the petitioner.
Justice Shravan Kumar emphasized that the responsibility to comply with judicial orders does not cease merely because an officer has been transferred, especially when the non-compliance relates to orders passed during their tenure in the concerned post.
“The fact remains that both were holding the relevant posts when the court passed orders for compensation but failed to implement the court orders,” the Court observed.
Long Legal Battle for Elderly Petitioner
The petitioner, Bommena Ramavva, has been pursuing legal remedies for several years to secure compensation for her acquired land. Despite filing a writ petition and subsequently a contempt petition due to continued non-compliance, the compensation has remained unpaid.
The Court noted with concern the hardship caused to the elderly petitioner, whose land has been submerged for months without compensation, reflecting administrative apathy and disregard for judicial directives.
Summons Issued for Personal Appearance
Taking a serious view of the matter, Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar directed both IAS officers to appear in person before the High Court on March 24, 2026. The summons were issued to explain their failure to implement the Court’s orders and to respond to the contempt allegations.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on the said date.
Read also: 10 Trainee IAS Officers from Mussoorie to Undergo 10-Day Training Programme in Jodhpur
