Telangana High Court on Wednesday instructed the Collectors of all 33 districts in the State to identify government lands in their respective jurisdictions.
The Collectors should pass on the details of such parcels of government lands to the Sub-Registrars concerned. A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy ordered that the Sub-Registrars should not execute sale deeds relating to any of such government lands by third parties.
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The bench issued directions while hearing a PIL petition over alleged encroachment of Waqf lands admeasuring nearly 130 acres in Patancheru village of Sangareddy district on Hyderabad outskirts. Three social activists filed the plea alleging that some private persons were illegally occupying the land and sought protection of the lands.
When the matter came up for hearing, the CJ observed that “this court is frequently noticing that several parcels of government lands in different districts of the State are being illegally encroached upon”. The CJ also noted that “fraudulent sale deeds are being executed and registered in favour of third parties while the government was not taking adequate steps to protect such land parcels”.
The bench said that in such a backdrop it decided to expand the scope of the PIL petition and pass specific directions to the authorities. The bench instructed the Collectors to commence survey of government lands in their respective districts in a time-bound manner. Details of government lands must be collated and maintained in a register. The register should also contain details of the geo-survey of the areas.
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On steps taken
Details of all such government lands should be communicated to the Sub-Registrars concerned. They should not execute sale deeds related to these properties by third parties, the bench made it clear. The bench ordered that, by next date of hearing, each District Collector should file separate affidavits explaining steps taken to conduct survey, protect government lands.
The CJ Hima Kohli made it clear that the exercise of identifying government lands should commence immediately. The bench instructed Advocate General B.S. Prasad to circulate its direction to the District Collectors and secure compliance of the orders within one week.