Land sharks target prime government land in Mancherial

Revenue officials in Mancherial are under fire after a 6.20-acre government-assigned parcel in survey number 22, originally allotted in 1953, changed hands through a series of transfers in 2001 and 2015. An inquiry has been initiated and officials who breached norms may face action.

Mancherial: Revenue officials are facing sharp criticism for allowing the transfer of government-assigned land originally allotted to an economically disadvantaged beneficiary, in violation of rules.

A 6.20-acre parcel in survey number 22, assigned to Ramzan of Naspur mandal centre in 1953, was transferred to nine individuals in 2001. Those individuals later sold the land to six others in 2015, and attempts were made recently to register the property in the names of the latest buyers.

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As per Revenue rules, assigned land cannot be transferred and can be enjoyed only by the legal heirs of the assignee.

“Since the land is close to the Integrated District Officers Complex, certain land grabbers targeted it and managed to transfer it to sellers,” said social activist Tula Madhusudhan Rao, urging officials to safeguard the government property.

With the establishment of the Integrated District Offices Complex (IDOC), land rates in Naspur mandal have surged; an acre now is valued at around Rs 5 crore. Land grabbers are reportedly focusing on government land around the complex, securing no-objection certificates (NOCs) from Revenue staff, then selling plots to realtors and facilitating registrations through bribes, the activist alleged.

Local residents said large stretches of land in Naspur mandal and its outskirts had already been encroached upon as the real estate boom took off in 2010, causing significant losses to the government. They appealed to Revenue authorities to prevent further encroachment by identifying boundaries, conducting surveys and constructing compound walls.

Revenue officials said an inquiry has been initiated into the transfer of land in survey number 22. They stated that action would be taken against officials who violated norms and added that steps were underway to protect government lands.