Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has found fault with the Revenue department over the way it proceeded against a deceased person by saying he had excess land under the Urban Land Ceiling Act.
A division Bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Sharma and Justice Abhinand Shavili was referring to land admeasuring 36,623-54 sq-metres in survey number 340 and another parcel of land admeasuring 62,636-87 sq-metres in survey numbers 340 and 341 in Puppalaguda village in Rajendranagar mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
The revenue authorities had treated these as surplus land and allotted them in favour of the Telangana State Industrial Infrastruc-ture Corporation Ltd (TSIIC). “The revenue authorities of Ranga Reddy had initiated suo-motu proceedings under Urban Land Ceiling Act against a dead person. No order can be passed against a dead person,” the bench said.
The lands in survey numbers 335, 336, 338, 340, 341 and 342, measuring Acs.80-25gts, were declared as evacuee property under provisions of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950.
The court noted that these lands were allotted to Vasudev, s/o Khemchand, a displaced person, under allotment order dated 23.06.1956, as per the provisions of the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954. Vasudev, in turn, sold the land to Kamala Devi and Manoharama, vide registered sale deed dated on December 17, 1968 and a certificate under Section 50-B of the Telangana Land Revenue Act was issued in favour of them.
Whereas, in 2006, the revenue authorities suo moto proceeded under the provisions of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, which came into effect in 1976, over the said lands and declared Ac11.05 guntas as surplus land and allotted it to TSIIC in 2008.
While starting the procedure under ULC Act, the revenue authorities had issued notices to Vasudev, who was dead, in 2006.
