It is an alarming development according to the industry. The expected capital region in the VGTM (Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri) is in for multiple land registrations, settlements and factions. The situation reminds one of Cyberabad about two decades ago according to the industry.
In a mad rush to own a piece of land, several investors are falling prey to illegal practices of realty firms. The same piece of land is sold to many people using loopholes in the rule book of the Revenue and Registration Departments according to industry sources. Meanwhile, the development is witnessing increasing number of settlements by miscreants.
The dismantling of illegal constructions in Cyberabad created a huge public furore recently but the sole reason behind it was illegal registrations and settlements, says Gadde Rajaling, president of Greater Vijayawada Builders’ Association.
Similar phenomenon“Vijayawada is witnessing the same phenomenon. Agricultural land is plotted for sale without mandatory conversion. Such land is registered in cents, square yards and square feet, giving rise to multiple and illegal registrations. By the time investors realise, it will be too late,” he said adding, “Our open call to the public to buy plots from approved layouts was of no use.”
The government, on its part, has stalled conversion of land to discourage massive rush in realty but it has not yielded the desired result. “It is the Revenue Department which has all the land documents and details related to land bank. The Registrations Department does not precisely know how much private land is available in the region. In the present system, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing but life goes as usual and nobody wants to miss the bus,” said an industry player speaking about the malpractices of the land deals in the region.
Sharp rise in land prices in the region and lack of structured monitoring by authorities has led to small and big time players venture into settlement of land deals for a price. “Many people go to these so called leaders and some approach the police. Most of the deals go un-noticed as they are illegal. Of late, faction elements of a particular region have entered the Vijayawada market which is not a good development,” said a senior police officer under conditions of anonymity.
