TS forms four panels for selling govt land

The Telangana state government has formed four committees to sell off government lands under the control of various departments to raise funds and tide over the Covid-induced financial crisis since March last year. Orders have been issued to this effect, it was stated here on Thursday.

The orders were issued after finance minister T. Harish Rao held a meeting with department secretaries at the Secretariat to assess the extent of lands and other assets owned by various departments.

The state Cabinet recently decided to sell off government lands and other assets to mop up revenues to fund welfare schemes and development programmes. However, as per the existing land allotment policy, government land should not be auctioned for resource mobilisation. To overcome this hurdle, the government amended the policy to permit sale of lands on the ground of "avoiding possible encroachments of these vacant land parcels".

The government order stated that, "In order to avoid possible encroachments, the land parcels of various sizes and shapes and some of the land parcels that ar not required for any immediate public purpose are permitted to be disposed of via open auction.

It said these lands are in prime locations scattered across the state and hence are prone to encroachments and un-authorized possessions.

The government has,” after a careful examination of the matter and to avoidpossible encroachments, permitted disposal of such government land parcels as are not required for any public purpose and cannot be kept idle for possible encroachments throughout the state, by open public auction." A steering committee has been constituted for the sale of lands through e-auction. The committee has the chief secretary as chairman and secretaries of revenue, finance, housing, MAUD, IT and law as members.

A lands committee was formed to ensure that litigation-free lands are made available for auction, comprising the law secretary, a representative of CCLA, the commissioner of stamps and registrations and the district collector.

An approval committee has been constituted to ensure development of lands and preparation of layouts with proper boundaries prior to conduct of e-auction comprising commissioners of GHMC, HMDA, CMD of TSSPDCL, MD of HMWSSB, DG of Fire Services and member secretary, TSPCB.

An auction committee was formed with the commissioner of HMDA, MD of Housing Board and MD of TSIIC.

The nodal department appointed by the government for the disposal of government lands has to fix the upset price for the e-auction.