High Court orders government land survey in Gandhamguda

Hyderabad: A division bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy, on Friday, heard a PIL and a tag of seven individual writ petitions regarding a dispute over 322 guntas of government land in survey number 43 of Gandhamguda village in Gandipet Mandal of Ranga Reddy district.

Chief Justice Chauhan pointed out that the court has directed the government to carry out a survey of the entire land in the presence of the petitioners. The entire case is about the land falling in survey number 43 that happens to be the government land.

The petitioners claimed that their lands either fall under survey number 42 or under survey number 46, but not under survey number 43. They claimed that they have nothing to do with land under survey number 43 and yet notices have been issued to them and they have been dispossessed from their peaceful possession. Therefore, they are before this court, CJ stated.

The court ordered the government to find the owners of those vacant plots and issue a notice to owners. And if the owner was not a resident of Hyderabad, issue a newspaper publication, and do not disturb the peaceful possession of the petitioners.

The High Court directed the State government that it is imperative that a joint survey will be conducted by the revenue department, but in the presence of the petitioners and in the presence of landowners.

Standing Counsel for Revenue Department Bhaskar Reddy requested the Court two months of time to carry out the joint survey.

The Court directed to issue notices to the petitioners at the addresses shown by in the cause title by the individual writ petitions and notices to their Counsels. The Revenue Department is further directed to locate the landowners of the vacant plots and to ensure that notices are duly served on them. The landowners and petitioners shall be informed that they can find for holding on the joint survey.

The CJ bench directed the petitioners to be present on the said date and time in the subject property along with their counsel. The joint survey report shall be submitted by the revenue department to the Court on or before the November 16, 2020. The copy of the joint survey report shall also be furnished to the counsel for the petitioner. The court adjourned the matter to November 20.