T Govt. resumes 189 acres of land allotted to APNGOs

The Telangana government on Thursday resumed 189 acres and 14 guntas of land allotted to Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Union at Gopannapally in Serilingampalli mandal on the outskirts of Hyderabad stating that the land was lying unused for a decade.

The land was taken possession by the local revenue authorities under cover of a panchanama and the matter reported to the government, sources said.

It was in 1991-92 that the Congress government headed by M. Channa Reddy had allotted 426 acres of land in a rough terrain to the APNGOs union, Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers (TNGOs) union, High Court, Secretariat and Ranga Reddy district employees. However, only the APNGOs union, which got the 189 acres, had not made plots and given to its members, the sources said.

The APNGOs reportedly did not make the allotment because of disputes between internal groups which the former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy tried to sort out. On Dr. Reddy’s persuasion, the groups had come to an understanding but differences cropped up after his death. Meanwhile, a person claiming ownership of a huge chunk of land moved the Supreme Court where the case was pending.

After Telangana was formed, it was brought to the notice of the government that the APNGOs union had not put the land to use, by the TNGOs Union. The Union also sought to know why land in Telangana should be given to a union from Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, the membership in both unions was divided on regional lines. In these circumstances, the government sought a report from Ranga Reddy Collector and issued an order resuming the land after confirming that it was not being used.

Sources added that the protracted litigation over the land was cleared in 2005-06 after the housing societies of both unions were converted into mutually aided cooperative societies in response to the enactment of a legislation. The TNGOs union plotted the area in its 160 acres and allotted the same to 1,800 members but the other union was caught in court cases over its share.