HYDRAA reclaims 23.16 acres of Gandipet govt land estimated at Rs 2,500 crore

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Monday reclaimed 23.16 acres of prime government land estimated to be worth over Rs 2,500 crore.

The high value of the land parcel, at Neknampur village in Gandipet mandal of Rangareddy district, is due to its location in one of Hyderabad’s fastest-growing and costliest IT corridor zones.

After confirming the land’s government ownership through detailed verification, HYDRAA removed illegal structures and secured the entire stretch by erecting fencing and installing official boards.

Locals complained about encroachments

The operation followed complaints from locals about systematic attempts to encroach upon government land in Survey No. 20 of Neknampur village.

Acting swiftly, HYDRAA officials, along with revenue and municipal authorities, conducted an extensive field-level inspection and examined revenue records. The inquiry conclusively established that the land belonged to the government.

Encroachments cleared, land secured

HYDRAA had earlier demolished some unauthorised constructions on the site.

On Monday, officials removed additional compound walls and sheds before fencing the entire 23.16-acre parcel. Boards declaring the land as government property were erected to prevent future encroachments.

Alleged encroacher booked for using fake records

Revenue officials revealed that Mohammed Ibrahim had allegedly created forged documents claiming to have purchased the land from Pakala Pochayya. Based on these claims, attempts were made to secure pattadar passbooks and legal validation through court proceedings.

However, following verification, revenue authorities informed the court that the land was government-owned. A criminal case has been registered against Mohammed Ibrahim at the Narsingi police station for the fabrication of records.

Adding to the complexity, while Ibrahim claimed to have purchased the land in 1975, members of Pakala Pochayya’s family began asserting ownership only in 2019, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the claims.

‘Land sharks using proxies’

Officials said influential land grabbers were attempting to appropriate valuable government land by using common people as fronts and manipulating official records to reap huge financial gains. HYDRAA’s intervention, they said, put an end to these attempts.

Residents welcome move, seek planned use

Local residents expressed relief over HYDRAA’s action and thanked the agency for safeguarding public assets. They urged the authorities to utilise the reclaimed land in accordance with urban planning norms, including development as open spaces and green zones.

Residents also appreciated HYDRA Commissioner AV Ranganath and lauded the State government for strengthening mechanisms to protect government land from encroachments.