Encroachment of government lands and dubious claims over Inam lands by private persons long after they became State property has been a vexatious issue in Hyderabad and surrounding districts.
The well oiled modus operandi adopted by some powerful lobbies over the decades had seen a large chunk of government lands going in to the hands of private persons with the State rarely demonstrating the political will and tenacity to pursue the legal disputes.
Reversing the trend, good tidings came for the State with its decisive win in the Supreme Court over the ownership of about 620 acres of land in Kokapet a week ago. Close to the Hi-Tech city, the prime land is valued at about ₹20,000 crore.
Kokapet land was handed over to HMDA in 2006 for development and auction. A part of it, 163 acres, was auctioned netting ₹1,760 crore in 2007 fetching a record price of ₹14 crore an acre, then. Bidders had made partial payment when the whole process was stayed with some persons approaching court claiming ownership.
The government had also won another important case pertaining to 425 acres of prime land in Raidurg in 2010. That land in Survey No.83 in IT Hub is today estimated to be worth about ₹30,000 crore.
What had changed the tide in favour of the government was the decision of APIIC and HMDA officials to engage the best of Supreme Court lawyers to represent the State. In both Kokapet and Raidurg land cases, no chances were taken in engaging specialist lawyers like G. Vahanvati, Mukul Rohatgi and others.
CMO officials too acknowledged that the strategy to engage prominent lawyers helped save valuable government lands and the government would adopt the same strategy for the Miyapur land case too.
Meanwhile, the HMDA is looking ahead for the next phase with regard to the Kokapet land. “We will discuss with the bidders owing us money and plan our next course of action, ” said HMDA Commissioner Chiranjeevulu.
