The HMDA covers 35 mandals spread over 7,228 sq. km in five neighbouring districts
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is looking into complaints of HMDA giving “indiscriminate approvals” for conversion of land use. The HMDA has cleared over 300 applications in the last three months and the government has received complaints that huge amounts had changed hands in the process. The HMDA covers 35 mandals spread over 7,228 sq. km in five neighbouring districts. As per the HMDA master plan approved by the government in 2013, land use is divided into 11 categories like residential, commercial, conservation, recreation zones etc. This is applicable till 2030 to ensure the planned development of the city and to check illegal layouts.
However, the HMDA has been approving change of land use, that too in the conservation zone (meant for agriculture and related activities) to residential, commercial and recreation zones, which command huge real estate value. After the HMDA gave its nod the files were sent to the government for approval. They are now with the department of municipal administration and urban development (MAUD).
The issue came to light after these files were sent to the CMO since Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao himself oversees MAUD. Mr Rao is learnt to have been surprised at receiving 300 files from HMDA within three months for land use conversion and suspected “dubious deals” in the process. He asked principal secretary S. Narsing Rao and MAUD principal secretary M.G. Gopal to inquire into these approvals and cancel them if irregularities were found, besides initiating stringent action against the HMDA officials found involved.
The HMDA master plan provides a provision for applicants to seek land use conversion, provided the HMDA approves it and refers it to the government. MAUD officials feel that this norm was exploited by some HMDA officials after they were offered huge bribes.
“The deals that came under the scanner are in prime areas like Gachibowli and Manikonda. The government will inquire into these complaints to ascertain what prompted the HMDA to permit such a large number of land use conversions within a short time,” said an official.
In Gachibowli, a land measuring 720 sq.metres was assigned to recreation zone in the master plan. The HMDA has now converted it into residential zone. In Manikonda, 1.20 acres of jagir land, which was classified under restricted development zone, was converted into a residential zone. In Malkajgiri, over 8,000 sq. metres of residential zone was made commercial.
( Source : dc )
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