Telangana High Court Issues Notice On Plea Challenging Alleged Unauthorised Issuance Of Supplementary Sethwar On Govt Land

The Telangana High Court has admitted a plea challenging the issuance of Supplementary Sethwar to the extent of 10 acres on alleged Government land wherein, collusion and fraud are alleged against the revenue officials and adjacent land owners.

The petitioner contended that the plea was filed in the interest of the State and its overall well-being. He stated that 449 acres in the Dundigal Village were vested with the government and the government had assigned a portion of that land to persons eligible under the political suffrage-freed fighters' category.

It was alleged that some persons who had received land in the said village under the suffrage quota had clandestinely, in collusion with the revenue officials, shown their survey number as that of the adjacent land and usurped the land of the Government.

“The reason this fraud is carried out is because the land in the latter i.e., Survey numbers 166/24 to 29 fall in a prime location that abuts an important road leading to the Nehru Outer Ring Road. This State of affairs and the nefarious actions of the respondents herein have defrauded the Public at large and have looted the State of its valuable largesse. The extent of land involved admeasuring Ac-10-00 Gts could fetch the State Several hundred of crores which have been illegally knocked away by the developer, the purported owner and the official respondents herein. The said land is highly conducive and convenient to be used for the building of double-bedroom houses for the weaker section” the petition reads.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti have admitted the PIL for hearing and called for records.

“Let W.P. PIL be admitted for hearing, Rule Nisi, Call for records, Notice returnable in four weeks,” it said.

Interestingly, another PIL had been filed in 2023, regarding the same land, by another concerned citizen, stating that the No Objection Certificate “NOC” issued for the sale of the land was illegal.

The petitioner in the said writ petition contended that the NOC was issued in the name of a dead person, by an incompetent authority which wreaked of fraud.

He has also contended that the nature of land is being altered from agricultural to commercial which was not allowed. It was prayed before the Court to cancel the NOC granted and pass interim orders directing the respondents not to alter the nature of the land.

Notice has been issued in both cases.

WP(PIL) 85 of 2023.

Counsel for petitioner: M. Pratheek Reddy

Counsel for respondent: GP. For Revenue.

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