Half of HMDA land stuck in legal imbroglio

Hyderabad: Almost 50 per cent of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) land is under title disputes, according to official sources. About 600 cases of title disputes which involve nearly 4,000 acres of land are pending in different courts including Supreme Court, High Court and district courts.

Out of 8,400 acres of total HMDA land, cases on around 4,000 acres of land are pending in court under title disputes. The market value of these lands is a whopping Rs 10 crore per acre. A senior official B Rajesham told The Hans India that HMDA had 8,400 acres of land but 4,000 acres of land were under title disputes.

He said there were about 600 cases only of title disputes pending in Supreme Court, High Court and district courts. He said, “Cases of title disputes are needed to be dealt by the Revenue Department like carrying out legal process but HMDA is doing it.

The development authority has given many representations and written letters to the Revenue Department but all in vain.” When asked about the same, a law officer in Hyderabad Collectorate said when the Revenue Department handed over lands to the HMDA, then it was even the duty of HMDA to represent the cases. She said both the HMDA and the Revenue Department in collaboration should represent as the HMDA would be the beneficiary.

She said 270 land cases from city were resolved in favour of the State government and nearly 1,735 land cases involving various other government departments from the city were pending in court. Recently, the HMDA won the title of 623-acre land in Kokapet in Supreme Court.