Hyderabad: Former minister T. Harish Rao accused the Congress government of indiscriminately adding properties to the Telangana 22A land prohibited list. He alleged that the exercise had created fear and uncertainty among property owners across the State.
Speaking informally with reporters at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, the BRS Deputy Floor Leader said lakhs of people remained unsure about their properties. He claimed many owners did not know whether authorities had placed their properties on the prohibited list.
Harish Rao questioned the inclusion of lands that had earlier received exemptions or clearances under the Urban Land Ceiling framework. He said the Urban Land Ceiling Act had been repealed across the country in 1999. Subsequently, then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had completely abolished the Act in Telangana in 2008.
“What kind of justice is it to now bring back lands that had been exempted from the ceiling limits?” he asked.
Telangana 22A land inclusion shows administrative failure: Harish
Harish Rao alleged that the issue reflected a lack of administrative control and basic understanding within the government. He claimed even government properties connected to the airport and Outer Ring Road had appeared on the prohibited list.
“If even government lands such as those belonging to the airport and the Outer Ring Road have been included, it shows how appalling the functioning of the officials is,” he said.
Harish Rao further alleged that authorities had added lakhs of Hyderabad properties to the prohibited list overnight. He cited properties in Survey Nos. 8 and 9 of Srinagar Colony. According to him, residents had built houses there and lived peacefully for about 20 years.
However, he alleged that authorities had now placed those properties under Section 22A. The BRS leader also questioned the inclusion of apartment flats purchased around 30 years ago.
“It is atrocious to include even apartment flats purchased 30 years ago in the prohibited list,” he said.
Property owners facing registration problems, Harish alleges
Harish Rao said many ordinary property owners discovered the restriction only when attempting registration. According to him, buyers first paid the prescribed challan and completed the payment process. However, registration authorities later informed them that the property fell under Section 22A.
As a result, the registration could not proceed, he said. Harish Rao alleged that the government also failed to refund challan amounts in such cases. He described this as effectively taking money from affected property owners without completing registrations.
The BRS MLA also raised concerns about properties that had previously received official no-objection certificates. Banks had sanctioned loans against some such lands, he said. However, their subsequent inclusion in the Telangana 22A land list created problems for owners and lenders.
Harish Rao also cited the Banjara Hills Housing Society while highlighting the extent of the dispute. Harish Rao alleged that Section 22A had become a mechanism to exploit property owners.
He further claimed that people faced demands for a 30% commission for work in the Revenue Department. His allegation also covered requests to remove properties from the prohibited list.
“Not a single file is moving in the Revenue department without a 30 per cent commission,” he alleged. The BRS leader did not provide evidence for the commission allegation in the information supplied.
Harish Rao also referred to reports that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s house had appeared on the 22A prohibited list. He alleged that the government acted on the broader issue only after the controversy affected the Chief Minister’s residence.
“The government swung into action only after the issue affected the Chief Minister’s own house,” Harish Rao alleged. He maintained that the government needed to address the uncertainty facing people whose properties had entered the prohibited list.