The Telangana State government, which has been under fire from Opposition parties for passing a controversial land bill in the ongoing session of the State Assembly to enable quicker procurement of land from farmers for new projects, received a setback in the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday.

A division bench of the High Court directed that the State shall not henceforth resort to purchase or acquisition of land under the controversial GO 123 for the purpose of irrigation projects "as it violates the statutory rights of affected marginalized families, who included agriculture laborers, artisans and others."