Aziznagar assigned lands worth ₹3,240 crore encroached
HYDERABAD: Assigned lands in Aziznagar in Moinabad mandal, spread across 162 acres, have been encroached upon by public representatives, senior officials and businesspersons, according to a revenue report submitted to the state government.
The issue surfaced following a drugs seizure at a farmhouse linked to former MLA Rohit Reddy.
Assigned lands diverted despite legal restrictions
Revenue records show that 162.08 acres in Survey No. 177 were classified as government land in the 1954–55 khasra pahani. The land was assigned to the poor in 1965 for cultivation.
In 1988, claims were raised by some individuals asserting ownership. The then district collector ruled that the land belonged to the government. In 2002, officials issued notices after detecting transfers and brought the survey number under the Prohibition of Transfers (POT) Act. Assigned pattas were cancelled and boards declaring government ownership were installed, but the land was not physically secured.
Influential persons acquire land through irregular registrations
Despite restrictions, the land gradually moved into the hands of influential persons. Sub-registrars reportedly processed registrations using benami survey subdivisions, though records continue to show the land as government property.
A public representative from the city holds 12.20 acres across multiple sub-survey numbers. A Chennai-based industrialist has set up an industry on 15.03 acres between Survey Nos. 177/7 and 177/13, despite the area falling under GO 111 restrictions, where industries are not permitted.
Educational institutions have also established facilities, including a university over 11.01 acres, a school on 13 acres and a college on eight acres. Some individuals have developed farmhouses and leased cricket grounds.
No original assignees remain; court upheld government ownership
Field verification found no original assignees in possession of the land. Petitions filed in 2003 claiming ownership were dismissed by the High Court in 2014, which upheld that the land belongs to the government.
The current market value is estimated at ₹20 crore per acre, taking the total value to around ₹3,240 crore. Whether the state will reclaim the land remains under discussion. Notices have reportedly been issued for lands linked to the former MLA.
Ranga Reddy district collector C. Narayana Reddy said, “All lands in Survey No. 177 are identified as government lands as per records. Several transactions have taken place. We have submitted a report to the government after inquiry. No notices have been issued so far, and no farmhouses have been sealed.”
