Telangana HC questions state on regularizing govt land in favour of Hyderabad Mayor Vijaya Laxmi, Kesava Rao’s son, at `throwaway prices'
Petitioner’s counsel S. Reddy Yalagiri submitted that the amendments were misused to regularise 1,161 square yards
By - Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: Trouble seems to be mounting for former Rajya Sabha MP and senior BRS leader Dr. K. Kesava Rao after Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Telangana High Court challenging the regularisation of prime government land in Banjara Hills in favour of his son K. Venkateswara Rao and daughter Gadwal Vijaya Laxmi, who is currently the Mayor of Hyderabad, at `throwaway prices'.
The PIL was filed by Gadeela Raghuveer Reddy of Kondapaka, challenging the regularisation of prime government land in Banjara Hills.
Hearing the case, Chief Justice Singh asked Additional Advocate General whether the government was uniformly extending the benefits under the regularisation scheme to all applicants or whether the concessions were granted to the two beneficiaries.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ghouse Meera Mohiuddin heard the matter on Wednesday.
The petitioner has questioned the actions of the previous BRS government in issuing and subsequently amending G.O. Ms. No. 59 dated 31 December 2014 through G.O. Ms. No. 22 dated 1 March 2023 and G.O. Ms. No. 56 dated 23 May 2023, allowing the regularisation of encroachments on objectionable government lands, surplus lands, and ULC lands on a payment basis.
Petitioner’s counsel S. Reddy Yalagiri submitted that the amendments were misused to regularise 1,161 square yards in favour of K. Venkateswara Rao, son of Dr. Kesava Rao, and 425 square yards in favour of Gadwal Vijaya Laxmi, Mayor of Hyderabad and daughter of the former MP.
He contended that the land located in NBT Nagar, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, Hyderaba,d a notified slum area with exceptionally high real estate value was allotted at nominal rates of ₹2,500 and ₹350 per sq. yd, whereas the market value stood at approximately ₹60,300 per sq. yd as of February 2024, translating to a value exceeding ₹9 crore.
The petitioner alleged that the beneficiaries bypassed the mandatory procedure prescribed in G.O. 59, which requires applicants to submit requests through Mee Seva and pay 25% of the land’s basic value via demand draft to the state government. Instead, the counsel stated, both beneficiaries directly represented their cases to the then Finance Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Land Regularisation, securing approval in violation of established rules and causing substantial loss to the State exchequer.
On 23 July 2024, the court issued notices to the Principal Secretaries of Revenue (Land Administration) and MA&UD departments, the CCLA, the Hyderabad District Collector, the Tahsildar of Shaikpet mandal, Venkateswara Rao, Mayor Vijaya Laxmi, and Kavitha Rao, seeking their responses.
Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Mohiommad Imran Khan acknowledged that the land parcels had indeed been regularised in favour of the former MP’s son and daughter. He submitted that the beneficiaries had already undergone extensive legal procedures owing to pending litigation over the properties and sought additional time to present a detailed argument.
The Chief Justice further observed that if the government intended to stand by its decision to regularise the land in favour of these individuals, it may need to consider rectifying the impugned GOs.
The state sought time to file its counter-affidavit. The Bench accordingly adjourned the matter to 7 January 2026.
