BJP’s Gudur Narayana Reddy demands white paper on government land litigation

Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy on Saturday demanded a white paper on government land litigation in Telangana. He asked the Congress government to cover all government and public lands involved in litigation across the State. He cited the recent Supreme Court judgment in the Miyapur land dispute. The government must disclose the extent, estimated market value, legal status and duration of pending cases over valuable public properties, he said.

In a media statement, Narayana Reddy said the Supreme Court’s October 29 judgment upheld the State government’s ownership of approximately 550 acres of prime land in Miyapur. He said the judgment exposed the scale of public property tied up in prolonged legal battles. It should prompt a review of similar disputes across Telangana.

He said the Miyapur case shows the enormous value of public land. It also shows the consequences of litigation continuing for decades. One dispute alone involves land worth thousands of crores. People have every right to know how much more government property remains entangled in court cases. They should also know what steps the government is taking to resolve them.

The Miyapur dispute involved 550 acres and 39 guntas in Survey Nos. 100 and 101 of Miyapur village in Serilingampally mandal of Rangareddy district. Historical revenue records classify the land as government poramboke. Competing ownership claims over it ran for decades. The then Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the government’s ownership in 2003. Private claimants’ appeals stayed pending before the Supreme Court for over two decades. Different estimates value the property at between Rs 25,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore.

Government land litigation covers over half of Hyderabad district’s land bank

Miyapur was not an isolated case of government land litigation, Narayana Reddy said. Citing a recent review by the Hyderabad District Collector, he said 238 court cases involve approximately 12 lakh square yards of government land. The district’s total government land bank stands at 21.74 lakh square yards. This means more than half the available government land is under litigation. Shaikpet mandal has the highest number of disputes, at around 50.

He said nearly 7,000 cases on Revenue Department matters and Section 22-A prohibited property lists are pending, largely before the High Court. The Waqf Board faces approximately 5,500 disputes across various judicial forums. High-value land disputes also continue in Kancha Gachibowli, Kukatpally and Manchirevula.

The BJP leader wants the white paper to give district-wise details of disputed government properties. It should include survey numbers, land extent, the year litigation began, the court or tribunal concerned, the present stage of proceedings and any interim orders. It should also state each property’s estimated market value and the measures taken to speed up cases and prevent encroachments.

He said government land is public wealth, not the private property of any political party or individual. Valuable lands locked in litigation for decades cost the State opportunities to use them for housing, infrastructure, educational institutions and welfare programmes. The government must explain what it is doing to safeguard these assets.

He also demanded disclosure of cases where government lands allegedly went to private individuals or entities through transfer, registration or mutation during pending disputes. He sought details of departmental or criminal action against officials and others responsible for such irregularities.

Questions on the Rs 1.5 lakh crore claim and a call for monitoring

He referred to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s recent claim that the government had protected public lands worth approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore through legal action. These included properties in Miyapur, Kancha Gachibowli, Mamidipally and Manchirevula. Such claims made comprehensive disclosure even more necessary, he said. He asked how many cases have been pending for more than 10 or 20 years. He also asked how many properties remain vulnerable to encroachment. The government should also disclose the value of lands still under litigation, he said.

He linked the issue to concerns the BJP raised earlier over Section 22-A prohibited property lists, discrepancies in land records under the Dharani and Bhu Bharati systems, and allegations of irregular transfers. Government land litigation needs a separate monitoring mechanism, he said. This would prevent further encroachments and manipulation of records.

Narayana Reddy urged the Revenue Department to set up a consolidated database of disputed government properties. The department should also review pending litigation regularly. He demanded that the government prepare the white paper within a fixed timeframe. It should table the paper in the Legislative Assembly or publish it on an official website for public scrutiny.

Protecting government land should go beyond announcing court victories or making claims about recovered properties, he said. The real test of accountability is whether the government will disclose the complete picture of public lands, including those still under dispute. He asserted that the BJP would continue pressing for transparency and accountability in protecting valuable public assets.