Ranga Reddy land case: Telangana HC restrains state, MHA from evicting 2000 families; issues notices

Telangana: Telangana High Court has restrained the state government and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from evicting 2000 families from Naddigadda Thanda, Miyapur village in Ranga Reddy district.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji directed the state government and MHA to ensure that the 2000 families, which are residing on the 40 acres of land in Naddigadda Thanda, Subash Chandra Bose Nagar, and Omkar Nagar are “not dispossessed and shall not be disturbed”.

In the interim order, Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan recorded the contention of the petitioner that the 2000-odd families, which have been residing on the 40 acres of land for the last 40 years were issued Aadhar Cards, Voter ID Cards, Ration Cards, and extended all other facilities by the GHMC. They are facing the threat of eviction and are threatened by the officials.

The court issued notices to the Secretary, MHA; Director General of CRPF; National Commission for BCs, New Delhi; District Collector Rangareddy District; Commissioner GHMC; Custodian of Enemy property for Indian Kaiser, and the Hind Buildings Mumbai. The court directed them to respond by August 23.

Division Bench was adjudicating the public interest litigation filed by Dr.PR. Subash Chandran, a resident of Swaminarayana Nagar colony, seeking direction from the Telangana government and the Director General Central Reserve Police Force, to ensure that the people, who are in occupation of 40 acres of land in Naddigadda Thanda, Subaschandra Bose Nagar, and Omkar Nagar are not forcibly evicted.

The petitioner informed the Court that it is a sheer human rights violation as the 2000 families, which are residing on the land for the last 40 years, now face eviction threat as the state government has already allocated a certain portion of land out of the 40 acres to the HMDA.

The State has snapped off basic amenities and they are deprived of sanitation, and toilets due to which the people are facing health issues, which is a basic human rights violation. He sought the Court’s intervention to protect them from eviction.

Gade Praveen Kumar, Deputy Solicitor General representing the Union of India informed the court that all these 2000 families have been in illegal occupation of the 40 acres of CRPF land for 40 years.

He said apart from the present illegal occupants, people from other states are also illegally occupying the land and seeking the court’s intervention in protecting precious government property.

The matter has been adjourned to August 23.