Vigilance begins probe into IDPL lands in Balanagar
HYDERABAD: The Vigilance and Enforcement Department has launched an inquiry into the disputed lands of Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) in the Balanagar area of Hyderabad, following allegations of encroachment and mounting political controversy.
The lands, estimated to be worth around ₹20,000 crore, are spread over nearly 801 acres along the Hakimpet–Balanagar main road, adjacent to Kukatpally AVB Puram. The inquiry will examine the current status of the lands, historical ownership, transfer of rights, alleged encroachments and related disputes. A detailed report will be submitted to the state government.
Inquiry ordered amid political and legal disputes
The probe assumes significance as allegations and counter-allegations over the IDPL lands have intensified in recent days, alongside ongoing legal issues between the Centre and the state government. In this backdrop, the state government issued orders on Monday directing a comprehensive vigilance inquiry.
Senior officials of the Vigilance and Enforcement Department have constituted a special team. A review meeting was held on Tuesday to finalise the investigation plan. The team is expected to begin field-level inspections from Thursday, officials said.
Dispute over land after closure of IDPL
IDPL, a Central public sector undertaking, was established in the Balanagar area in 1967. At the time, the then state government decided to allot 801 acres for the manufacture of 47 types of bulk drugs. The Revenue Department initially transferred the land to the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, now Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, which in turn handed it over to IDPL.
Industrial operations at IDPL came to a halt in 2003. Subsequently, with real estate activity booming in the surrounding areas, the high-value lands became vulnerable to encroachments. While some economically weaker families built huts on portions of the land, certain real estate developers attempted construction, leading to disputes.
Efforts by the state government to take over the lands met with resistance. As IDPL was classified as a sick industrial unit, proposals to auction the land to clear outstanding dues and settle payments to workers triggered further legal complications. The Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction objected to any transactions involving the land, citing pending liabilities.
Kavitha claims credit for probe order
In a separate statement, Telangana Jagruti president Kalvakuntla Kavitha said the government ordered the inquiry as a result of sustained campaigns by her organisation against encroachment of government lands, including IDPL property.
“This is entirely the result of Telangana Jagruti’s efforts. During my Medchal district tour as part of the Jagruti Janam Bata programme, people brought the issue of IDPL and other government land encroachments to my notice. I raised the matter publicly and through the media,” Kavitha said.
She welcomed the decision to order a vigilance inquiry and demanded that facts be brought out transparently. Kavitha added that the probe would also expose what she described as politically motivated allegations against her family. She urged the government to complete the inquiry swiftly and reclaim the lands from illegal occupants.
Kukatpally MLA seeks independent probe
Bharasa Kukatpally MLA Madhavaram Krishna Rao thanked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for ordering the inquiry in response to a letter he had written seeking a comprehensive probe into IDPL lands.
Speaking to reporters at the GHMC special council meeting on Tuesday, Krishna Rao said he was ready to face any action if even a single allegation against him was proven. He said poor families had been living on parts of the land for 70 to 80 years and warned against targeting them.
He clarified that Kalvakuntla Kavitha had not sent him any legal notices and said allegations were common in political life. Stating that IDPL was a Central government entity, he demanded that the probe be conducted either by a sitting judge or the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Krishna Rao also referred to reports of documents allegedly linked to Serilingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi in survey number 007 of Gajularamaram in Quthbullapur constituency and said he had sought a probe into that issue as well.
With legal disputes continuing between the Centre and the state and allegations of encroachment surfacing repeatedly, the state government’s decision to order a vigilance inquiry has once again brought the IDPL land issue into focus.
