Safeguard govt lands, says KTR

Officials to concentrate on revenue lands

Municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday stressed the need for taking measures for the protection of government lands from encroachments.

While reviewing measures being taken to protect government lands in Hyderabad and its surroundings at a high-level meeting at MCRHRD Institute, Rama Rao asked officials to concentrate on revenue and endowment lands which are largely targeted by the encroachers.

Rama Rao told officials to make use of the information available with different government departments pertaining to the vacant lands. He suggested that officers to take up GIS-ma pping and geo-fencing of government lands.

Referring to the large number of cases pending in court with regard to government lands, the minister instructed officials to take necessary steps to resolve disputes pending in courts.

Animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, LB Nagar MLA D.

Sudheer Reddy, Qutbullahpur MLA K. Vivekananda and Serilingampally MLA Arekepudi Gandhi attended the meeting.

The MLAs requested Rama Rao to consider issuing pattas to the small pieces of land occupied by the poor. The minister said that the government had issued GO 58 and 59, regularising lands occupied by the eligible

poor and giving them property rights.

Assuring them that he would consider the requests of the MLAs to examine the feasibility of issuing similar orders for regularisation of lands occupied by the poor, Rama Rao told the Chief Secretary to consider such requests case by case rather than regularising all encroached lands.