CCLA orders takeover of disputed Bhoodan lands in Suryapet

Hyderabad: The first step has been taken towards reclaiming Bhoodan lands that had become part of a long-pending dispute in Suryapet district. Following Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s statement in the Legislative Assembly on the Mellachervu Bhoodan lands recently, the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) has directed the Suryapet District Collector to take possession of 170 acres of Bhoodan land in Survey No. 1057 of Mellachervu mandal.

The CCLA has instructed the District Collector to take possession of the 170 acres and rectify the relevant Bhoodan land records. Officials have also been directed to incorporate the necessary changes in the ‘Bhu-Bharathi’ land records.

The action follows an inquiry into the Bhoodan lands associated with My Home Cements and Keerthi Cements. The dispute, which has been pending for several years, had earlier reached the Lokayukta and the High Court before an inquiry was conducted under the purview of the CCLA.

Survey No. 1057 covers a total extent of 631 acres. Of this, 170 acres are classified as Bhoodan land, 18 acres as government land and eight acres as land belonging to the Endowments Department. The remaining extent comprises private patta land.

Due to the dispute concerning the Bhoodan portion, the entire survey number was placed on the ‘22-A’ prohibited properties list. Farmers owning patta land in the survey number have consequently faced difficulties in registering their properties and obtaining bank loans for nearly 17 years.

The dispute over the Bhoodan lands began in 2009 and subsequently escalated to the Lokayukta and the High Court. The matter was later taken up for inquiry by the CCLA.

The issue gained renewed attention after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy raised the matter of the Mellachervu Bhoodan lands in the Legislative Assembly. The latest CCLA orders are now expected to pave the way for resolving the long-standing dispute.

Farmers have urged the authorities to implement the CCLA’s orders at the earliest and remove their patta lands from the ‘22-A’ prohibited list. They said that the inclusion of the entire survey number in the list had caused prolonged difficulties in property transactions and access to bank loans.

Huzurnagar RDO Srinivasulu said the lands would be taken over in accordance with the CCLA’s directions and that the issue concerning the prohibited list would also be resolved.

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The Hans India