Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s announcement that the government would fund the construction of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation scheme by selling land in Hyderabad has given a boost to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.
The CM’s announcement has shed light on the extent of government land that is caught in legal wrangles — a total of 3,802 acres.
The HMDA has 8,260.36 acres in three districts of which it has utilised 3,886 acres — 3,553.19 acres in Ranga Reddy, 211.24 acres in Hyderabad and 121.24 acres in Medak district.
Of the unutilised land of 4,374.19 acres, only 571.17 acres are free of litigation. In all, 1,068.07 acres are stuck under 15 special leave petitions, 2,305.35 acres embroiled in 140 writ petitions, and 429 acres in 95 original suits, pending in lower court including those of land grabbing.
A highly placed source in the HMDA said the government’s decision to sell state land will help city infrastructure development as well.
Sources said the government has announced that all pending cases will be expedited. If that happens, it will not only rescue the HMDA from severe financial crisis but also pay for infrastructure projects like Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP), Musi Riverfront Development and beautification project.
It is difficult to put an estimate on the money the government can earn as the value of land varies widely. The HMDA can get `5,000 crore by auctioning 200 acres in Kokapet. All other parcels of land would be cheaper. Next in line is 200 acres of land at Tellapur, which is caught in legal wrangles, 50 acres in Miyapur and 40 acres in Mokila.
A major chunk of land of the 3,899 acres of land available in Ranga Reddy district would be the only hope for the municipal authority. Once the government succeeds in clearing the court cases, the auction of half the land would be enough to pay for the pending city projects.
An official said the HMDA would act as a real estate agent to improve city infrastructure. They said that the government has hinted that Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) would also act as one of the nodal agencies to sell land for irrigation projectss and other flagship programmes.
