Harish Rao alleges Rs 1,000 crore land scam in Shamshabad, seeks SIT or CID probe
BRS leader T Harish Rao alleged a Rs 1,000 crore land scam involving 179 acres in Shamshabad and demanded a SIT or CID probe. He accused officials of illegally converting government land into private property and sought strict action against those responsible
Hyderabad: BRS Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao on Tuesday alleged a Rs 1,000 crore land scam in Shamshabad and demanded that the Congress government constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or order a CID probe to protect government lands. He also sought stringent action against all those allegedly involved in the land scam.
Addressing a press conference here, the BRS Deputy Floor Leader charged that a conspiracy was hatched to hand over 179 acres of government land under survey numbers 173 to 183 in Pedda Shapoor village of Shamshabad mandal to private individuals.
According to Harish Rao, the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) had instructed the Tahsildar to recognise the land parcel as government land and ensure that it remained free from encroachment. The RDO had also directed that the land be included in the prohibitory list under Section 22-A, he said.
The former Minister stated that the same was formally recorded in an affidavit submitted before the High Court on January 30, 2026. Further, on February 24, 2026, the Tahsildar officially confirmed that the land belonged to the government, he added. “However, on February 28, the Tahsildar issued an order reversing the earlier decision and declaring that the land belonged to private individuals. How could government land transform into private property within four days?” Harish Rao questioned.
He further alleged that instructions were subsequently issued to list the land as private property on Bhu Bharathi online portal. Pointing out that the RDO and the Tahsildar had issued contradictory declarations, he questioned how the Government Pleader (Revenue) could present a unified stand before the High Court.
“Any official order submitted before the High Court generally requires prior approval from the District Collector. Under what circumstances did the Collector grant such approval?” he asked.
Harish Rao also questioned on what basis the Advocate General had accorded approval in the matter.
Claiming that the lands were worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore, he alleged that despite the magnitude of the scam, no disciplinary action had been initiated against the officials involved. He alleged that after reports regarding the issue surfaced in the media, authorities merely transferred the MRO to the Collectorate without taking any substantive action.
The BRS leader further alleged that ACB officials had initially planned to conduct a raid but later backed off as a close associate of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was allegedly linked to the case. “It was solely due to political pressure that the MRO was simply transferred and no serious disciplinary action was initiated,” he alleged. “Who are the influential figures shielding the MRO? Their identities must be exposed,” Harish Rao demanded.
He further claimed that the Bhu Bharathi Act mandated that any land entered into Bhu Bharathi records should be based on a formal application approved by the RDO. However, in this case, the land was entered into the records immediately after the MRO issued directions, he alleged.
“Why has the government not reclaimed the land? Why has it not been restored to the prohibited list? They fraudulently converted the entire land parcel into patta land and recorded 179 acres under private ownership,” he charged. Harish Rao demanded the suspension of the MRO’s order and dismissal of the official from government service. He also sought that an appeal be filed against the High Court’s order in the matter and that the land be reinstated in the prohibited list.
Demanding a thorough investigation into the issue, he said a SIT or CID inquiry must be ordered immediately. “If the Congress government is genuinely committed to protecting government lands, the Tahsildar should be dismissed immediately,” he said.
