Hyderabad: Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao seems to be realising the practical difficulties involved in taking back lands from encroachers that have been in possession for decades and which have changed hands many times.
Mr Rao, who had talked tough against encroachers all these days, has now asked officials to look at regularising encroached lands by collecting certain amounts wherever possible.
However, the Chief Minister directed officials to be strict against encroachers from now onwards and not to spare anyone, including the TRS leaders and activists, if they tried to encroach government lands.
At a review meeting held in the Secretariat on Thursday, Mr Rao decided to invoke the PD Act, bring in a new legislation besides taking other stringent action against land grabbers usurping government lands in Hyderabad.
The tough financial condition of the TS government is also said to be the reason for Mr Rao talking about regularising encroached lands as the government has targeted to raise over Rs 6,000 crore through sale of lands by March 2015.
Unfortunately, there are no buyers for government lands due to the slowdown in the realty sector after bifurcation of AP.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that if the encroached lands were regularised in Hyderabad and RR districts, the government could earn as much as Rs 15,000 crore even if minimum amounts were collected for them.
They told him that even if some portion of the encroached lands were regularised, it would fetch a minimum of Rs 8,000 crore, thereby surpassing the Budget target.
They informed the Chief Minister that a survey conducted by them had revealed that nearly 6,000 acre had been encroached upon in the two districts.
“I am sure I will be slammed for taking stringent action. But I don't care and I am not scared. I don't have any self interest.
My only interest is to save government land and use it for public good. We have to clear the rot plaguing Hyderabad city. We have to be so harsh that land grabbers should be scared to touch government land,” Mr Rao remarked.
However, he said that the eligible poor living on certain government lands for a long time may get house site pattas at select places.
He constituted a secretaries' committee to look into the issue of misuse of government land incl-uding lease lands, identify available lands and those that are encroac-hed. The committee will meet on December 9.
