Telangana adds 1,800 acres in Gopanpalle to prohibited list
GACHIBOWLI (HYDERABAD): The Telangana government has added 1,800 acres in Gopanpalle revenue village of Serilingampally mandal to the prohibited land list under Section 22A, halting all sale and registration activity in the area. Eighteen survey numbers were included in the updated list, and sub registrar offices were directed to stop registrations.
Officials said the update followed a recent High Court directive instructing the state to place records of government land online. The Revenue Department began preparing district wise lists, after which the Ranga Reddy district administration wrote to the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration seeking inclusion of large tracts in Gopanpalle.
Three-fourths of village area enters prohibited list
Gopanpalle spans 2,458.38 acres, of which nearly 75% has now entered the prohibited register. The entries have caused concern among residents who built homes, high rise apartments and gated communities over two decades. Several buyers who availed bank loans said the sudden restrictions had left them “shocked”.
Officials maintain that the list was generated from Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) data. However, many questioned why registrations were allowed for years if the land was already categorised as government property.
High rises, IT firms and government-allotted plots affected
Large swathes of land housing gated communities, colonies, IT companies and prominent institutions fall within the prohibited survey numbers. A real estate firm is building high rise towers on land purchased from local farmers. HMDA had earlier approved the Diamond Heights layout, and several apartment towers and gated communities came up with municipal permissions.
Residents were surprised to find even government-allotted plots listed as prohibited. These include parcels previously given to employee unions, the Bhagyanagar Housing Society, journalists, the police department, IT majors such as Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services, and the TSIR/TISR campus. Officials said these entries, too, would be reviewed.
Colonies such as Gopanpalle village, Gopanpalle Thanda, NTR Nagar, Taj Nagar and Sofa Colony have also been listed.
Registrations halted in 18 survey numbers
Registrations were stopped in survey numbers 5, 7, 14, 20, 21, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 66, 74, 124, 178, 311 and 316. Survey 36 has 34 sub-divisions, survey 37 has 23, survey 14 has five, survey 124 has 32 and survey 316 has 17. Revenue records classify these as government land, temple owned land or lands under Lavani pattas. The Serilingampally sub-registrar received the list two days ago and has suspended registrations, said sub-registrar Anveshita Reddy.
Market value estimated at ₹27,000 crore
Gopanpalle lies along the IT corridor, where Tata Consultancy Services already operates a campus and is planning expansion. Its proximity to the Financial District and Kokapet has pushed land prices sharply upward. In Rayadurg Knowledge City, an acre is valued at ₹200 crore. In Kokapet Neopolis, the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation auctioned plots at ₹151.7 crore per acre. At an estimated average of ₹150 crore per acre, officials said the 1,800 acres in Gopanpalle carry a market value of about ₹27,000 crore.
Residents question approvals issued over the years
Locals said all major layouts and high rise buildings received permissions from municipal bodies, HMDA and other departments, which normally check title documents thoroughly. For high rises, approvals also require clearances from the Fire Department, Irrigation Department and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Residents asked why such clearances were issued if the land was already under restrictions.
Government says objections will be examined
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said the list was prepared jointly by the Revenue and Stamps and Registrations departments. “Once the details are uploaded online, objections will be accepted. After verification, any land wrongly included will be removed from the prohibited list. We are recording all 22A lands online,” he said.
Ranga Reddy district collector Narayana Reddy added: “The list was generated based on IGRS data. We have included only land that has been under prohibition for years. No new land has been added. If any government allotted plots or society lands appear in the list, we will remove them once they are brought to our notice. Court ordered exclusions will also be honoured.”
