HYDERABAD: The Rangareddy district administration has swung into action to protect around 1,200 acres of prime govt land, worth an estimated Rs 60,000 crore, currently embroiled in ownership disputes.
Located in high-demand and high-value areas such as Hafeezpet, Madhapur, and Kondapur, this land is at the centre of a legal battle with private firms and individuals claiming ownership.
In a move to safeguard the land from unauthorised registration, Rangareddy district collector has sent a revised land prohibition list to the registration and stamps department, urging them to halt property registration of disputed land as directed by the Telangana high court.
This revision is the first in nearly a decade, specifically targeting land in survey numbers 55, 66, 67, 74 to 80, 100, 103, 104, 151, 157, and 167 in Hafeezpet.
The govt’s action follows instructions from the high court, which had previously directed the state to take necessary steps to prevent registration of these lands. “A revised list of survey numbers in Serilingampally, Gandipet, and Rajendranagar mandals was sent to the registration department recently, in compliance with the court’s order. The court asked the govt to follow procedures to prohibit registration of these lands,” C Narayana Reddy, Rangareddy district collector, told TOI.
It’s not the first time that the district administration has made such efforts. As early as 2013 and again in 2016, then collector sent similar notifications to the registration department, urging the officials to refrain from processing land registrations in these disputed areas. However, due to procedural lapses, the govt’s efforts were sometimes overridden by court rulings, allowing registrations to proceed in some cases, sources said.
One of the key points of contention has been the improper handling of govt land notifications. According to P Pratap, a high court advocate representing Trinity Infra, certain survey numbers—specifically 77 to 80—have been a source of ongoing litigation. “The collector has violated the high court orders by submitting the list of survey numbers, particularly 77 to 80, seeking prohibition. We had previously gone to the high court against the 2013 notification and even filed contempt petitions in some instances,” Pratap told TOI.
He added that the matter of survey number 80 is particularly complex, as it is under a status quo order by the Supreme Court, with the govt, state waqf board, and Trinity Infra as parties.
The land in question has long been a source of confusion and legal wrangling. Despite being officially recorded as govt land, many of the 1,200 acres have been claimed by individuals and companies, and in some cases, encroached upon allegedly by firms and religious structures. For example, although survey number 80 is listed as 484 acres of govt land, only 50 acres is currently vacant; the rest has various structures, some of which have been built without proper authorisation, a source revealed.
Compounding the issue is the ongoing dispute over the ownership of land in survey numbers 77 to 80, which are also part of the Khursheed Jah Paigah land—a subject of contention between govt and private entities for the past few decades. This battle has seen legal proceedings stretching over three to four decades, with both govt and private parties vying for control of these prime properties.
In Hafeezpet, another incident highlights the complexity of these land disputes. A private firm recently managed to get its survey number removed from the prohibition list, allowing it to proceed with registration. However, in a surprising turn, the govt has now re-imposed restrictions on that same land, effectively blocking the registration process once again.
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Of the 1,200 acres of land, survey no 80 has about 484 acres, 78 has two land parcels, 201 and 205 acres separately, survey no 77 has 127 acres, 77/p, 24 acres, and 77/P1 has 102 acres, 104 has 14 acres, and 151 has 17 acres. In some survey numbers, 82/2, 88/1, and 98 land about 62 acres were allotted to various govt agencies, including municipal and energy departments.
