In a significant move, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has questioned the State government over its prolonged failure to file counter affidavits in petitions challenging the allotment of land to Lulu International Shopping Malls Private Limited in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. The court expressed concern that nearly a year had passed without the State filing its response in the matter.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Dheeraj Singh Thakur and Justice Challa Gunaranjan, made it clear that the State must file the counters without fail by the next date of hearing, which is set for March 11. The orders were passed while hearing public interest litigations (PILs) filed last year challenging the allotment of 13.5 acres of land in Vizag and 4.15 acres in Vijayawada to Lulu Mall at what the petitioners described as nominal prices.
The PILs were filed by Paka Satyanarayana of Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada-based advocate Ch Venkateswara Rao, and former minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao. During earlier hearings, the Chief Justice-led bench had directed the State to file counters on the land allotments.
Senior advocate V Ashok Ram argued that the allotments to Lulu Mall lacked bidding, transparency, and violated Supreme Court norms. He alleged a ‘one-plus-one offer’ and said the government had ignored earlier cancellation grounds. Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas confirmed that the counters were ready and promised their submission by the next hearing.
This development adds another layer to the ongoing saga surrounding the Lulu Mall land allotment in Andhra Pradesh’s major cities, with the court now pressing the State government for a timely response.
