Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Court Seizes Telangana Irrigation Office Assets Over 1983 Dispute
A contractor and the government have disagreed about irrigation work done in 1983.
The work involved digging and building up parts of the Kakatiya Canal.
The disagreement went to court and led to an order requiring payment of more than Rs 3.72 crore.
The payment was still not made.
Because of this, court officials took chairs, tables, computers and other equipment from a government irrigation office.
The office was in Mahabubabad, Telangana.
The department says its structure changed in 2021 and that it is asking for approval to pay the amount.
The case shows how an old dispute can continue for many years before being settled.
Court officials removed furniture, computers and other equipment from the Mahabubabad Irrigation Circle office in Telangana.
The attachment followed a City Civil Court in Hyderabad order in a dispute involving more than Rs 3.72 crore.
The case began with 1983 earthwork excavation and embankment works on the Kakatiya Canal under the Sriram Sagar Project.
Contractor K Venkateshwarlu’s dispute with the department eventually resulted in a court decree whose amount remains unpaid.
The Irrigation Department says it is seeking government approval for payment and legal advice, while a proposed transfer of responsibility was still incomplete when the attachment occurred.
- Who
- Contractor K Venkateshwarlu, the Irrigation Department and the City Civil Court in Hyderabad are involved.
- What
- Court officials attached and removed government office assets in enforcement of a decree involving more than Rs 3.72 crore.
- When
- The underlying irrigation work took place in 1983; the attachment occurred 43 years later, according to the report.
- Where
- The assets were taken from the Mahabubabad Irrigation Circle office in Telangana.
- Why
- The decretal amount in the long-running dispute had not been settled.
Court Enforcement
Department Response
Attachment of office assets
Court Enforcement
The court process proceeded to attachment after the decretal amount remained unpaid, resulting in the removal of furniture, computers and other equipment.
Department Response
The department says the case was affected by its 2021 reorganisation and a pending request to replace the Mahabubabad Superintending Engineer with the Warangal Superintending Engineer.
Resolving the payment
Court Enforcement
The court decree led to execution proceedings because the awarded amount had not been settled.
Department Response
The department says it has been seeking government approval to pay the decretal amount and legal advice on the case.
- Dispute origin
- Earthwork excavation and embankment work on the Kakatiya Canal
- Project
- Sriram Sagar Project
- Year of original works
- 1983
- Amount involved
- More than Rs 3.72 crore
- Attachment location
- Mahabubabad Irrigation Circle office, Telangana
- Court order
- City Civil Court in Hyderabad
- Department response
- The department is seeking government approval for payment and legal advice.