Telangana Government has decided to give special powers to all district Collectors

Hyderabad: The State Government has decided to give special powers to all district Collectors to promote realty business, creation of Estate Officers to protect government properties, State Chambers in District Collectorates for Ministers, and double helipads in every Collectorate.

The Chief Minister during the day-long meeting with the Collectors accorded full powers to them to approve the new layouts coming up in the districts and instructed them to check irregularities in the promotion of realty and ensure good revenues to the State from the sale of lands in the new ventures.

The District Magistrates have been asked to take stringent action against the realty companies if they were found violating the property registration norms and evade stamp duty.

In a move to protect the costly lands, the CM announced the creation of Estate Officer at the district level and one State Estate Officer to monitor the lands from encroachments. The government already decided to sell costly lands to overcome the financial crisis.

The officials it is said were already in the process to identify the lands. The estate officers would compile the land data and create a land bank to use them for development purpose and revenue generation. The Collectors have been given the responsibility of land management.

In a bid to involve the ministers more in the district development activity, State Chambers would be set up at Collectorates and helipads would helpful during emergency times mainly in disaster management.

Officials said that Rs 2 crore has been earmarked for ministers and Rs 1 crore to the Collectors for Palle Pragati and Pattana Pragati programmes this year. The legislators have been asked to seek ministers' approval to get constituency development funds.