The Telangana High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Telangana state government and revenue authorities concerned and asked them to file counter affidavits in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed challenging allotment of five acre prime land to Tollywood film producer and director N Shankar at a nominal price of Rs 5 lakh per acre at Shankarpally area of Ranga Reddy district.

A division bench of the High court has asked the state government and other authorities to file their counter affidavits in four weeks time.

It may be recalled that director N Shankar has close association with TRS chief and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Shankar supported KCR during Telangana statehood agitation between 2009 and 2014. He also actively participated in Telangana statehood agitation.

Shankar produced and directed “Jai Bolo Telangana” film in 2011 during the peak of Telangana statehood agitation.

The film played a key role in igniting Telangana sentiment among people and helped KCR to intensify the agitation.

After Telangana State was formed and KCR became CM in 2014, Shankar submitted a proposal to state government seeking land allotment for construction of a studio.

The Telangana cabinet headed by KCR approved allotment of land to Shankar in June 2019 for a nominal price of Rs 5 lakh on city outskirts, where the current market rate is in crores.

This was challenged by few individuals in the High Court who filed PILs against TS cabinet’s decision.