The Telangana Housing Board on Thursday resumed 45 open vacant plots with an estimated value of ₹50 crore encroached upon by private persons adjacent to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad campus in KPHB area. The plots are part of the 12.22 acres valuable land encroached upon at the place.
Permanent fencing
With the help of officials from the Revenue, GHMC, Electricity and Police Departments, the Housing Board officials immediately erected permanent fencing and posted a sign board about the ownership of the land.
According to the officials, the Housing Board had leased out 100 acres of its land in survey numbers 1057, 1056, 1055 (part), 1052 (part), 1058 (part) and 1059 (part) at Kukatpally in Ranga Reddy district to JNTU-Hyderabad in December 1980 by giving its physical possession. The land was given for a lease of 30 years with an annual rent of ₹99,000.
However, a survey conducted by the Housing Board in 2006 had revealed that JNTU was in possession of only 87.78 acres and the remaining 12.22 acres was under encroachments, including the 1.29 acres utilised for the widening of Hyderabad-Mumbai highway, the officials said.
An unauthorised and unapproved layout in the name of Sri Sai Nagar Housing Welfare Society was made in the remaining land of 10.93 acres.
After cancelling the lease of a portion of land (12.22 acres) that was not in the physical possession of JNTU, the Housing Board filed a case in a special court under the A.P. Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act against 188 persons seeking eviction, damages and punishment.
After the court's ruling in Housing Board's favour, the officials have taken over the land with 45 vacant plots. The officials put the value of the 12.22 acres at about ₹240 crore. The Housing Board officials, however, did not touch permanent structures including residential and commercial complexes come up on the said land.
Meanwhile, Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Chitra Ramachandran told reporters that they would not leave even an inch of the Housing Board land to be under encroachments. Stating the period of lease given to JNTU was over, she said the permanent structures in the remaining encroached land would also be removed.
