Illegal alienation of Bhoodan lands: Telangana HC asks BYB to furnish complete details

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday took up a batch of writ petitions alleging illegal alienation and mutation of Bhoodan lands in Maheshwaram Mandal of Ranga Reddy district.

While the state government has declined to appoint a Commission of Enquiry, the Court directed the Bhoodan Yagna Board (BYB) to furnish complete details of all Bhoodan lands across the State.

State refuses Enquiry Commission

Appearing before Justice Kunuru Lakshman, Additional Advocate General (AAG) T Rajnikanth Reddy informed the Court that the Telangana Government has decided not to constitute a Commission of Enquiry under Section 3 of the Commissions of Enquiry Act, 1952.

The commission was sought to probe alleged irregularities in land transactions concerning Survey Nos. 194 and 195 of Nagaram village, Maheshwaram mandal, Ranga Reddy district.

Petitioner alleges fraudulent sale and mutation

The primary writ petition was filed by Vadthya Ramulu, a resident of Padmavathi Colony, who claimed ownership of 10 acres and 17 guntas of land purchased in 1964 from one Nawab Mohd. Haji Khan.

He alleged that, in collusion with private parties, revenue officials, including the District Collector, RDO, and Tahsildar fraudulently mutated the land in the names of third parties, including senior IAS and IPS officers, by creating fictitious documents and subdivision numbers.

Ramulu told the Court that despite making repeated representations to revenue officials and higher authorities, no action was taken, forcing him to seek judicial intervention.

Similar pleas filed by another individual

The Court also heard two related writ petitions filed by Birla Mallesh, who raised similar allegations regarding the illegal sale and transfer of Bhoodan lands to senior government officials. Justice Lakshman stated that the Court would first decide the maintainability of these writ petitions before proceeding with the merits of the case.

The matter is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, where arguments from senior counsel representing the petitioners and purchasers will be heard.

Bhoodan Yagna Board asked to submit detailed report

Justice Lakshman directed the Bhoodan Yagna Board, represented by its standing counsel Kiran Kumar, to provide a comprehensive record of all Bhoodan lands in Telangana, including their respective survey numbers and status.

The counsel submitted that around 40,000 acres of Bhoodan land had been distributed to landless farmers with the objective of livelihood support. However, many beneficiaries reportedly created third-party rights over these lands in violation of the scheme’s purpose.

Respondent cites government’s discretion

Senior Counsel Raghu Ram, appearing for one of the purchasers, informed the Court that the petitioner had previously submitted multiple representations to the Prime Minister's Office, the Chief Minister’s Office, and other departments.

He argued that the appointment of a Commission of Enquiry lies solely within the discretion of the State Government and cannot be mandated by the Court.

Court to decide on writ maintainability

Justice Lakshman noted that before addressing the broader allegations of illegal land transactions, the Court would first consider whether the writ petitions are legally maintainable. A detailed hearing on this issue is expected on Tuesday.