KCR advocates new land regularisation scheme

Hyderabad, Dec 16 (INN): The Telangana Government is planning to come out with a policy for one-time settlement of all encroachments on government lands in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district.

Speaking at the All Party meeting held at the State Secretariat on Tuesday, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao made it clear that the government would act tough against the land grabbers who have encroached upon government lands in the city.

However, the government will also consider regularising encroachments by poor and middle-class people. He said that the spurt in realty prices have also increased the instances of encroachments in the city. He made it clear that the government would not spare land grabbers although it proposes to regularise the poor and middle class people.

The encroachments in Hyderabad have been classified into four major categories. They include encroachments by migrant workers from different districts, middle-class people who have unknowingly purchased encroached government lands, land under occupation by schools, hospital or religious places, professional land grabbers.

He said that the main intention of the government was not to regularise the encroachments, but to free the government lands from encroachment. He said rising prices and ownership disputes have made it almost impossible for a common man to buy a piece of land in the city.

The Chief Minister proposed that encroachments up to 125 sq yds should be regularised at free of cost while nominal fine amount for regularisation of land between 250-300 sq yds.

For those illegally occupying up to 500 sq yds and above, the government proposes to collect fine amounts in different slabs under regularisation schemes. The State Government will also utilise the vacant lands. The government would provide accommodation in multi-stories building to those residing in 15-50 sq yards.

A press release issued by the Chief Minister's Office claimed that there was almost consensus among all political parties on regualrisation of land for the poor.

Those who attended the meeting include Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali, Ministers Padma Rao, Mahender Reddy and Talasani Srinivas Yadav; Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and G Niranjan of Congress; Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Narsi Reddy and LV Ramana of TDP, G Kishan Reddy and Dr K Lakshman of BJP; Syed Amin Jafferi of MIM; Ch Venkat Reddy and Ravinder Kumar of CPI; T Veerabhadram and Sunnam Rajaiah of CPM; Venugopal Chary and Rajeshwar Reddy of TRS and Shiva Kumar of YSRCP.

Chief Secretary Dr Rajiv Sharma, Metro Rail MD NVS Reddy, GHMC Special Officer Somesh Kumar, Revene Secretary Meena, Panchayat Secretary, Raymond Peter, Secretary to CM S Narsing Rao and other officials also attended the meeting.