Telangana HC Issues Notices Over Disputed Bhoodan Land Transfer
Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy was surprised at how the authorities issued passbooks as they wished, without following procedure.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday issued notices to Rangareddy former collector Amoy Kumar and R.P Jyoti, former tahsildar of Maheshwaram mandal to reply to the allegations that they issued a succession certificate and land pattadar passbook to private parties over 10 acres of land in Nagaram of Maheshwaram mandal, which is listed as Bhoodan land and also included in the prohibition list. Moreover, a dispute over the land is pending before the High Court and the status quo orders are in place.
The court issued notices to both officers at the personal level and to the Bhoodan Board and the state government to submit their contentions.
Discussing the cases registered against Amoy Kumar for issuing land clearance certificates to many disputed parcels of land, the court sarcastically remarked that even the Nizam of Hyderabad might not have disposed of the lands in a manner the Rangareddy former collector did.
Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy was dealing with a petition filed by Nawab Farooq Ali Khan, who challenged the proceedings issued by the revenue authorities in 2021, issuing a succession certificate and passbook on the 10 acres of land in Survey No. 181 of Nagaram and claiming around 47 acres of land in the survey number.
He submitted that the land was erroneously listed as Bhoodan land that it was challenged before the High Court in 2006 that the case was pending and that the interim orders issued to maintain status quo and were subsisting. But, the authorities issued passbooks to third parties in 2021 and the very same officers had refused to issue passbooks in 2020.
During the hearing, the judge was surprised at how the authorities would issue passbooks as they wished, without following procedure. Justice Bhaskar Reddy observed that the erring officials were liable to be punished for the wrongdoings as was specifically stated by the Supreme Court in 1970 in the ‘Sayed Yakub’ case.
The judge also directed the principal secretary of revenue, who looks after the Bhoodan Board, to file a counter on whether or not he had complained to the authorities to take action against the officers for alienating Bhoodan Land. The judge cautioned that if the counter was not filed within the time, a fine would be imposed.