BRS Converted Govt Land Into Private Land

Hyderabad: The state government on Saturday placed documentary evidence before the Legislative Assembly stating that valuable government, assigned, Bhoodan, inam and defence lands around Hyderabad and in neighbouring districts were converted into private or patta lands during the previous BRS government through the Dharani portal.

Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy cited several instances to substantiate the government's charge and stated that senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao's father-in-law Madhavaram Hanumantha Rao, BRS MLAs Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and Gangula Kamalakar and others had benefited from such illegal land transfers.

Srinivas Reddy said the cases demonstrated how government lands were removed from the prohibited 22-A list or otherwise converted despite restrictions, court proceedings or earlier resumption orders. Here are some of such cases.

Survey No. 271 of Velikatta, Kondapak mandal, Siddipet district had 327 acres and nine guntas of assigned government land. Of this, Madhavaram Hanumantha Rao, father-in-law of Harish Rao, purchased 6 acres and 18 guntas of assigned land in 2010-11. He purchased 2 acres and 10 guntas (Survey No. 271/18) from Seenangari Srinivasa Chary, who was allotted land under the freedom fighters category, and four acres and eight guntas (Survey No. 271/98) from Pasi Satyanarayana, who land assigned to him under the ex-servicemen category. After 1 acre and 26 guntas was acquired with `11.92 lakh compensation, the remaining 4 acres and 32 guntas was removed from the 22-A list on August 1, 2023, just before Assembly polls and converted into patta land.

In Sikindlapur, Shivampet mandal, Medak district, had 569 acres 5 guntas of inam land. Of this, 372 acres 32 guntas were granted Occupancy Rights Certificate, which establishes the user’s right over the land, shortly before the 2023 election notification; orders later cancelled and matter now before the RDO.

In Survey Nos. 58 and 59 at Chippalthurthi, Narsapur mandal, Medak district, 112 acres 21 guntas were removed from Section 22-A prohibited list in 2020, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating alleged irregularities and arrests of the then additional collector and RDO.

Vattinagulapally, Gandipet mandal, Ranga Reddy district, had 29 acres and 27 guntas of Bhoodan land under Survey Nos. 186-189. However, revenue officials allegedly removed Bhoodan classification, despite the High Court ordering a status quo. This transaction involved BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and others.

Shankar Hills, Vattinagulapally, Gandipet mandal has 460 acres under Survey Nos. 111-191. Despite court restrictions, 226 acres 6 guntas came into the possession of influential persons including BRS MLA Gangula Kamalakar through removal and restoration of POB status.

Munaganur, Abdullapurmet mandal, Ranga Reddy district 40 acres 10 guntas under Survey No. 44. About 22 acres of the assigned land were resumed, and converted into patta land in 2022. Subsequently, the land was registered in the name of Kambalapalli Sulochana, who is linked to former BRS councillor and realtor Palle Gopal Goud.

Pothireddypally, Sangareddy mandal, had 77 acres of government-assigned land in Survey Nos. 152-155. Following Dharani applications, 31.23 acres were removed from 22-A and converted into patta land in July 2023. The land was later converted for non-agricultural use and registered in the names of TJR Infra & Developers and others. HMDA permissions were given based on a no-objection certificate from the revenue department. The matter is pending before the High Court, which has ordered status quo.

Eighteen acres and 22 guntas in Survey No. 44 of Adibatla, Ibrahimpatnam mandal of Ranga Reddy district. Of this, 13 acres and 16 guntas of ceiling-surplus land were assigned to four landless poor persons. However, later, the assigned land was resumed and converted into patta 38-E land and registered in favour of a real estate company in 2022. Status quo continues under a High Court case, while the CCLA has initiated suo motu proceedings.

66 acres and one gunta of Defence land at Thumkunta village in Shamirpet mandal was acquired for a fire range in 1990-91. Proposals were made in 2023 to convert it into patta land and that the collector changed its classification in favour of several individuals and a real estate firm. Following a Defence Estates Officer's complaint in September 2024, the collector restored the land to the 22-A prohibited list.