Hyderabad: Digging into the reasons behind the Rangareddy collector issuing to private persons, no-objection certificates (NOCs) to a disputed land parcel of about 45 acres — previously claimed to be government land — in Raidurgam in 2023, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday asked the government to provide all details by March 10, else it would order a CBI or ED inquiry in the issue. The judge also asked if collectors were empowered to declare that the government did not have interest in a parcel of land.
The issue relates to about 45 acres in Survey No. 66/2, part of a larger 279-acre parcel of land in Survey No. 66 of Raidurgam.
The court expressed dissatisfaction over the Chief Secretary not filing the counter since November 2024, to the points raised by the court over the authority of the collector in issuing the NOCs, and declaring that the government had no interest.
The judge was dealing with a petition filed by a resident of Prashanthi Hills, Survey No. 66/2 of Raidurg Noukhalsa village, challenging the NOCs issued by the Rangareddy district collectorate.
On November 12, while dealing this petition, Justice Reddy had directed the state government, the revenue department and the GHMC to maintain status quo over the land in all respects, either issuing building permissions, NOCs or others.
The judge had also directed the Chief Secretary to file detailed a counter affidavit by November 28, with regard to the nature and classification of the land, and explaining how the collector could issue the NOC to private persons. The judge had also asked whether or not the state government was claiming ownership of the land, or denying it.
The judge wanted to know whether the state government had in 2023, or before that, taken a decision to revert its claim over Survey No. 66 of Raidurg, which had around 279 acres and 22 guntas. In the legal battles between various housing co-operative societies, state government and private parties since 1999, the state claimed that the land was poramboke government land and the joint collector had issued orders. The High Court had not intervened in the orders.
The question was how did the collector in 2023 adopt the practice of issuing the NOCs to the plots and parcels of land in the Survey No. 66 for allowing house construction.
Pointing out this issue, Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy directed the Chief Secretary to explain under what provision of law were the district collectors conferred with the power to issue NOCs for registration of the document or for declaring that the government did not have any interest in a particular property.
In the absence of powers being conferred on the collectors, how the Rangareddy collector issued proceedings in 2023, stating that there was no government interest involved in the plot was questionable, the judge observed and wanted an explanation.
