2 BHK housing deadline takes toll on revenue staff

The 2 BHK housing scheme deadlines are taking a toll on revenue officials working in the field in the state capital. Not just ministers, even ruling party legislators in the city are focussing their energies to start and complete this project on priority basis creating new problems for the revenue staff in several places.

A few days ago, Marredpally MRO was slapped with `27,500 fine by a court responding to pleas by five families in Old Marredpally, who have charged revenue authorities with highhandedness and flouting of rules in their efforts to acquire land for 2BHK scheme.

Revenue staff faced similar problems in the housing scheme projects taken up in Khairatabad, Musheerabad and Bhojagutta near Mehidipatnam in the last few months.

The housing department is starting construction works even before acquiring fully earmarked land leading to legal hurdles, especially for the revenue wing. Those who are not ready to part their land for the housing scheme are knocking the doors of the courts blaming the revenue staff.

Take the case of the housing scheme in Old Maredpally. Nearly fifteen families are yet to vacate their houses. Hoping to convince them over a period of time, a few weeks ago, officials started basement work in some parts of the total 5 acre land. Now revenue officials are under pressure to get them vacated so that existing houses can be razed down for the construction to begin in other blocks.

Lachi Reddy of Telangana Tahsildars Association urged the Hyderabad district administration to strengthen the legal counsel so that the government’s voice could be put up strongly and promptly whenever cases come up in courts.

“At present, it is the headache of the concerned tahsildar on how to convince the court about encroachment by private individuals. It will be of great relief to revenue staff if this thing is taken care of by the administration. The staff can then work without any worry,” he said.