Contradictory GOs benefit occupants

The KCR government, which talks about correcting the mistakes done during the united Andhra Pradesh, now comes with GO 60 empowering the officials to dispose of the previous applications as per the old orders only. Many political heavy weights and influential personalities are under this category of pending applicants. Experts fear that the GO 60 may be misused by those who subverted the Urban Land Ceiling Act

Hyderabad: The governments have issued orders and guidelines from time to time for allotting the excess land to declarants who are in occupation of lands to minimize the litigation and ensuring the speedy settlement of cases subject to certain conditions. Several applications submitted under various GOs are pending at various levels for examination and issue of appropriate orders thereon.

Meanwhile, the government has issued GO 58 and 59 recently for assignment, regularisation and transfer of rights on land encroachments on government and surplus lands under urban land ceiling. The Telangana government has issued GO 60 dated December 31, 2014 explaining the guidelines to be followed to dispose applications both pending and the fresh ones as per the recent and previous GOs. But, precisely, the devil lies here. Instead of addressing the discrepancies in the present and previous GOs, the fresh guidelines have brought to the fore such anomalies in different GOs further creating confusion.

The GO 60 states that all the applications received under previous GOs (455 Revenue (UC-I), dated July, 29, 2002, 456 Revenue (UC –I) dated July 29, 2002, 615 Revenue (UC –I ) dated April, 26, 2008, 747 Revenue (UC –I) dated June 18, 2008) and pending at various levels would be examined and disposed off as per the guidelines issued therein. The applications filed in pursuance of the new policy would be examined and disposed off as per the orders issued in the GOs 58 and 59 by the Telangana government. The first four GOs were issued in the undivided State.

The KCR government, which talks about correcting the mistakes done during the united Andhra Pradesh, now comes with GO 60 empowering the officials to dispose off the previous applications as per the old orders only. Many political heavy weights and influential personalities are under this category of pending applicants. Some of these influential families have submitted multiple applications from their family members. Experts fear that the GO 60 may be misused by those who subverted the Urban Land Ceiling Act.

The GOs 58 and 59 issued by the Telangana government do not allow regularisation of vacant lands under occupation. For instance GO 58 dated December 30, 2014 in its condition (V) for assignment states, “no vacant land shall be assigned”.

The GO 59 dated December 30, 2014 says that possession of government land as extension or appurtenant to a dwelling unit on land already owned or assigned may be considered for regularization (2) (vi). Thus, the GO 59 also disallows regularisation of vacant lands under occupation. But, GO 747 dated June 18, 2008 allows for regularization of even vacant lands. Sources reveal that thousands of applications under this GO are pending with the authorities.

The applicants include political heavy weights and influential people. Contrary to the spirit of GO 59, Telangana government issued GO 60 which allows for clearing the pending applications under GO 747 thus clearly benefitting the encroachers of even vacant government and surplus lands.

The GO 747 stated, “Under these orders only one of the members of the family (viz., applicant, his or her spouse and their minor children) shall be eligible for the allotment of vacant land up to the maximum limit shown in clause (s)…” But, the GO 59 issued by Telangana government now does not have these two conditions mentioned in the GO 747. No such limit on the number of family members exists in the GO 59. Similarly, no limit exists on the extent of land to be regularised.

If the pending applications are cleared as per the old GOs according to GO 60 these conditions should apply. But, many fear that the pending applicants especially those with political and economic clout many enjoy the provisions of GO 747 of 2008 and GO 59 of 2014 based on what suits their interests. Therefore, the government has to be extra vigilant to avoid distorted implementation of GOs.