No action yet on illegal land mutations:- ---------------------------------------------- HYDERABAD: Nearly two years after the mutation scam came to light, the revenue department seems to be going slow on resuming 65 acres of government land illegally transferred to private parties by the Hyderabad district administration between 2006 and 2010. Several irregularities in transfer of government land to private persons and firms in the Hyderabad district jurisdiction were exposed in these columns in March, 2012. The government had ordered the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) to inquire and submit a report. A public interest litigation (PIL) was also filed in the high court, seeking action against the erring officials. Of 21 mutation cases, the district administration had acted only in one case and initiated action against the erring officials. In six cases, the inquiry is still on by the district collector, in five cases parties approached the high court, in two cases the parties approached the commissioner of appeals, in three cases action is pending with the revenue department and in four cases the authorities found no irregularities in mutation. The then Hyderabad district collector Natarajan Gulzar had submitted a report to the CCLA last year with a list of land parcels, which were allegedly transferred to private parities illegally. The district administration came up with a report that 65 acres of government land, worth about Rs 2,030 crore, was transferred to private individuals and institutions in Shaikpet, Trimulgherry, Nampally, Asifnagar, Khairatabad, Bandlaguda, Bahadurpura, Himayatnagar, Secunderabad and Musheerabad mandals. Principal secretary, revenue department, BL Meena has recently informed the AP high court in a contempt petition pertaining to illegal mutation case filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that the department was taking action on the cases and submitted a status report. However, no concrete action was taken in several cases by the department. For instance, 9.20 acres (TS No.1, Block-F, Ward 9) prime land worth Rs 456 crore in Shaikpet was transferred in the name of Padmalaya Studios in January 5, 2009 by the then RDO of Secunderabad. Padmini Priyadarshini and others had acquired property from Padmalaya studios in violation of conditions. As per the conditions of alienation, the land had to be utilized only for construction of a studio complex, but the land was transferred to others. The district collector had asked for revision of mutation orders, but the request was rejected by the government saying that revision was time barred. However, the then collector again sent a letter in 2011 to review the matter as it was a clear case of violation of conditions of alienation, but the state government has been sitting on the file. Similarly, there were allegations against officials in the Trimulgherry mutation case, where 18 acres land is involved, but no concrete effort is being made to protect the government interest. In a case pertaining to Bandlaguda, where eight acres land was transferred, a criminal case was registered against one Raghveer with the Chatrinaka polic station and the accused obtained anticipatory bail. The state government had issued a charge memo to former Hyderabad collector Navin Mittal on the illegal mutations, but the issue is pending with CAT. The action, supposedly being taken, by the revenue department is only an eye-wash. It has failed to resume land from parties who have not approached court, M Srinivas, a CPM activist who filed the PIL on land mutations, told STOI.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 02:03:50 +0000