KHAMMAM: Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC) is unable to find documents for the mutton and fish market on the Wyra Road that it claims to own.
The erstwhile Khammam municipality had since 1985 collected rents from merchants selling mutton and fish in the market spread over about 2,000 square yards. Everybody had been under the impression that the market is owned by the municipality.
However, heirs of people claiming to be owners of the property had launched civil proceedings against the municipality in the Munsif Court, Khammam, in 1975 claiming the land.
They produced records saying that one Mothui Begum had donated the market land in 1970s to mutton merchants Afjal Mia, Yakoob and Chintajallu Srinivas to run their business there. These merchants built huts and started selling mutton from the location. Subsequently, Afjal Mia, Yakoob and Srinivas passed away and their heirs reportedly had no idea of the history behind the place.
One Shaik Yaqoob, son of Silar, aged 78 years, informed heirs Mohammad Gouse and Sayyad Ayub about their ownership rights.
While the matter had been under litigation, the Khammam municipality had become KMC and it decided to demolish the market place as it had become dilapidated. It issued notices to the merchants for demolition but they obtained stay orders on different occasions and also got extension of the time limit. Officials finally demolished the shops on October 10, 2022 saying the time extension given by court had passed.
However, counsels of merchants went to Telangana High Court claiming officials had dishonoured the subsisting orders dated September 14, 2022 issued by Principal Junior Civil Judge, Khammam.
The High Court then ordered KMC to show the documents claiming the rights over the mutton and fish market property before 1985. KMC commissioner Adarsh Surabhi directed the corporation staff to search for the relevant documents related to property rights of the then municipality.
It is learnt officials have not found any documents pertaining to the ownership, except bills of receiving rents from the shops. The value of the property in the open market is around ₹20 crore.
It is said ruling party leaders have started parleys with heirs of property owners to buy the land and subsequently claim it from the government.
