65 Acres Of Govt Land Worth 2,030 cr Transferred To Pvt Parties
Hyderabad: In a startling revelation, the Hyderabad district administration has established that major irregularities took place in the transfer of government land under its jurisdiction to private parties by a process known as mutation. Most of the irregularities took place between 2006-2010, in which 65 acres of government land having a market value of Rs 2,030 crore was transferred to private individuals and institutions.
The report, which has been prepared by the current Hyderabad district administration headed by collector Natarajan Gulzar after a thorough investigation and passed on to the office of the chief commissioner of land administration, is likely to put 1996 batch IAS officer Navin Mittal in the dock. Mittal, who is currently special commissioner in the GHMC, was Hyderabad collector between March 25, 2008, and April 8, 2010, and the majority of the irregularities appear to have taken place during his tenure.
Mutation is the transfer of title of government land to private individuals and institutions, persons and firms and should take place after proper verification of the documents and all available evidence. Based on the mutation order, the district administration changes the name of the land owner in the land records. Of the about 65 acres of landwhere the irregularities took place, 16 acres of land was transferred in Shaikpet mandal in Shaikpet village, a prime locality in the city. Mutations were also done in Trimulgherry, Nampally, Asifnagar, Khairtabad, Bandlaguda, Bahadurpura, Himayatnagar, Secunderabad and Musheerabad mandals.
“In the transfer of these land, government interests were not protected and in some cases, the mutations were done without proper link documents and powers to the authorities concerned,” the report has concluded. According to sources, the detailed report that was sent by Gulzar to the CCLA two days ago lists the irregularities that occurred in each mutation case. “A city minister and a former revenue minister, MLAs and an MLC and a former minister reportedly played crucial roles in the mutations in question, the sources claimed.
While no individual was named in the report, the ‘Collector,’ ‘Revenue Divisional Officer, Secunderabad,’ and ‘RDO, Hyderabad’ were shown as the ‘Authority issuing the order’ in the 22 cases that were listed. Chittam Lakshmi, a close relative of a Telangana minister, was the RDO Secunderabad while M Hanumantha Reddy was RDO Hyderabad during the period when the alleged irregularities in the mutation cases took place, the sources added.
MUTATION DEALS
Padmalaya Studios owned by actor Krishna gets 9.2 acres prime land worth 456 crore in Shaikpet
18 acres worth 432 crore transferred to Malpani in Trimulgherry mandal
37,000 sq m worth 222 crore transferred to Dargah Shah Kamoosh in Nampally
3.2 acres in Shaikpet transferred to M/S Madan Mohanlal Sriram Company 6,261 sq m worth 6 crore transferred to S Ranga Reddy in Saidabad
In Musheerabad, about 857 sq m worth 9 crore transferred to Ram Agarwal in Musheerabad
9.27 acres worth 228 crore given to Syed Nizamuddin Hussaini in Asifnagar
8,370 sq m worth 84 crore given to L Jayaprada Reddy in Shaikpet Veteran actor’s deal under scanner
According to the report, prime land of 9.20 acres (in TS No 1, Block-F, Ward 9) worth Rs 456 crore in Shaikpet was transferred in the name of Padmalaya Studios (owned by Krishna, veteran actor and father of Mahesh Babu) on January 5, 2009 by the then RDO of Secunderbad. The collector’s report said the land was given at a nominal cost to the studio which in turn allegedly alienated it to Zee Tele Films and 13 share holders of the company for liquidating the company’s debt.
Following protests over the mutation of government land to Padmalaya Studios at a nominal cost, the then Collector resumed the land even as the Appeals Commissioner allowed the appeal filed by the studio. “The mutation orders were issued while the writ petition was pending and the extent alienated is only for 5.04 acres but the mutation was done for 5.20 acres. Though the company had sold about five acres, the mutation was done in favour of the company for the entire extent,” the report pointed out.
Similarly, in Thokatta village of Trimulgherry mandal, the mutation of 18 acres land (in survey no 157/1 and 170) was done in favour of one Malpani on April 9, 2009. The report said the land is part of the Salar Jung Estate and classified as gairan sarkari/Abadi. There is a village boundary dispute involving this land between Thokatta and Hasmathpet. Because of this mutation order, the state government incurred a loss of Rs 432 crore, the report said. In Nampally, about 37,000 sq metres of land was transferred to Dargah Shah Kamoosh on March 19, 2008. The land is classified as government/graveyard and AP High Court decided that it was not wakf land and only a small extent belongs to the Dargah. But then collector R V Chandravadan issued mutation orders based on ex-parte. In this case, collector Gulzar sent a proposal for review to the CCLA in December 2011. The mutation in question had resulted in a loss of about Rs 222 crore to the government, the report claimed. In a similar case in Shaikpet (plot no 8, survey no 403), about 3.20 acres were transferred to M/S Madan Mohanlal Sriram Company on February 20, 2008 by the then collector Chandravadan. The report said the government interest was not properly defended and that the property was transferred to a private party though court cases were pending. In Gaddi Annaram village of Saidabad mandal, 6,261 sq metres of land (s no 312) worth Rs 6 crore was transferred in the name of one S Ranga Reddy and others by the then collector. “Mutation orders were issued without identifying or surveying the surplus land and without notice to the affected parties,” the report said.
In Musheerabad, about 857 sq metres land worth about Rs 9 crore was transferred to one Ram Agarwal in February 2009 even though the private party did not produce any link documents. Interestingly, the mutation had been rejected by the Secunderabad RDO but the then collector cleared the same on the grounds that Agarwal was in possession of the said land for the last 12 years. The collector’s report said the land might attract Bona Vacantia Act.
The RDO, Hyderabad, transferred the title of the land for 9.27 acres worth Rs 228 crore in Gudimalkapur of Asifnagar mandal in the name of Syed Nizamuddin Hussaini in March 2008. The report pointed out that the RDO had wrongly invoked Atiyat Enquiries Act and transferred the land to a private person while Inam Abolition Act was applicable to the land. The collector had sent the review proposal to the CCLA on January 16, 2012 for cancelling the same.
The then RDO of Secunderabad transferred 8,370 sq metres of land in Shaikpet areas (TS No 3/1/1, Block S and Ward 11), said to be worth Rs 84 crore, in favour of L Jayaprada Reddy in August, 2006. “The land is classified as government and the RDO has no power to order correction. But in the guise of mutation, RDO ordered correction of Town Survey and Land Records thereby exercising the powers of the civil court. RDO gave the order based on the alleged long standing possession and affidavit filed by the applicant. The beneficiary has no link document for an extent of 6,396 sq metres of 8,370 sq metres covered by correction,” the report said.
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