Telangana: Now, move to regularise assigned land
Over 98,000 acres of assigned lands have changed hands in state for the past few decades.
Hyderabad: The state government has lined up yet another land regularisation scheme. This time the government wants to regularise assigned land that was allotted to poor years ago but is now under the possession of others.
The government had earlier launched LRS schemes to regularise government land in 2015 on which private houses had come up and regularise urban ceiling land in 2016.
Over 98,000 acres of assigned lands have changed hands in state for the past few decades. Though the government has power to take back these lands, it involves several legal complications.
To avoid this, the government plans land regularisation scheme by imposing huge penalties on those in possession of assigned lands, which would also fetch huge revenues for state exchequer.
The government feels that taking back assigned lands would be a daunting task as residential and commercial projects, resorts, farmhouses, educational institutions etc have come up on these lands over the years.
Assigned lands on city outskirts falling under Ranga Reddy limits which command huge real estate value have changed multiple hands over the years.
The successive state goverments since 1956 have assigned 22 lakh acres to poor across the state. Of this, only 14.28 lakh acres were distributed to beneficiaries.
In RR district, out of 87,064 acres assigned to poor, only 9,885 acres is in possession of beneficiaries while the rest 77,189 acres has changed hands.
The assigned land was either bought from poor or encroached upon in Maheshwaram, Saroornagar, Balapur, Shamshabad, Rajen-drangar, Chevella, Uppal, Ibrahimpatnam, Qutbullapur, Medchal mandals.
A senior revenue official said, “Taking back these assigned lands from private individuals and firms at this stage is practically impossible. Several real estate projects and educational institutions have come up on these lands, which cannot be demolished just like that. The only option left for government is to regularise the land by collecting fees and penalties. In this way, the government can earn huge revenues.