PIL filed on land regularisation

The decision of the Telangana government to regularise illegal occupants on government lands has been challenged before the Hyderabad High Court.

Professor P.L. Vishweshwar Rao and two others and Anwar Khan, a lecturer from the city moved two separate PILs challenging the GO Ms No: 58 and 59 issued on December 30, 2014 for regularisation of lands occupied illegally.

They said the action of the government was cer- tainly encouraging to land grabbers and anti-social elements who grab government lands using fake documents.

Prof. Vishweshwar Rao told the court that there was a need to constitute a penal committee which can make a full fledged inquiry regarding the land occupants before regularisation and issuance of occupancy certificates and if the committee is constituted it will be possible to identify the deserving and land sharks.

Mr Anwar Khan urged the court to direct the government to initiate both criminal and civil proceedings against land grabbers who occupied government lands illegally and that they should be prosecuted under the Land Grabbing Act, 1982 and the AP Land Encroachment Act, 1905.

The petitioners said the GOs should not be implemented on the basis of the all-party meeting held on December 16, 2014 and urged the court to declare the GOs as illegal and arbitrary.