KCR Keeps His Word: Demolition On To Reclaim Illegally Occupied Gurukul Trust Lands

Within a day after CM KCR ordered demolition of illegal buildings, GHMC along with machinery and a huge posse of police entered the trust lands and is pulling down structures that were not regularized, even with the opportunities earlier Governments gave. The reason is said to be that the lands upon which the structures are built are themselves not registered implying an illegal occupation. The occupations have been done with active support of earlier governments. The result is that most of the 627 acre prime property abutting Hitech City is occupied by land sharks. Multi-storied bulidings for commercial spaces, colleges, hostels, apartments etc came up by dozens in those lands.

Today’s demolition seems to focus on buildings under construction and have identified 21 such buildings in the locality, mostly along the Kavuri Hills, Hitech City 100 ft bypass road. The demolition drive may continue for few days. An earlier demolition drive in 2011 pulled down almost 100 structures.

2 years ago, the high court ordered about 1,500 people who are in occupation of Gurukul Trust lands in Ayyappa Society and other societies on the city’s outskirts to be evicted by the state government. Reason: they had not applied for regularisation of their sites. On the other hand, the lands of 2,787 applicants were to be regularised thanks to that judgment. The High Court declared then that the 627-acre prime land at Khanamet near Hitec City belonged to Gurukul Trust, but said that encroachers and other occupants of residential houses be let to stay there provided they had already applied for regularisation of their lands. Those who had not would have to be evicted, it said. The money collected from applicants for land regularisation should be used to buy land in the vicinity and handed over to the trust in compensation, the court said.

The government had issued GO No. 747 on June 18, 2008, framing policy guidelines on urban lands which were declared surplus and taken possession under the provisions of the ULC Act, 1976 in urban agglomerations for allotment to those already in occupation of such lands.

The Gurukul Trust had huge extent of lands and the government exempted it from the ULC Act. When allegations were made that the trust was selling away the lands, the government withdrew the exemption. As a consequence, the trust’s lands became surplus under the ULC Act and were vested with the government. Individual occupants and institutions who had purchased the lands approached the government for regularisation. In pursuance of the government orders, 2,737 occupants who purchased Gurukul Trust lands, which were declared surplus subsequently, through registered sale deeds filed applications by paying the requisite amount to the ULC department for allotment and regularisation and deposited Rs 86.49 crore.

The registered transactions of purchase of surplus lands/primary documents that took place prior to the date of adoption of Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Repeal Act, 1999 (March 27, 2008) was considered for regularisation under these orders. The applicants who paid for regularisation hailed the court verdict as their three-decade-long legal fight has almost come to an end and all hurdles to land regularisation have gone. Some members of societies even distributed sweets among themselves and burst fire-crackers then. All those who applied for regularization could be safe now.

For allotment of those ceiling-surplus lands to the extent of 627 acres at Khanamet (Survey Nos 11/2 to 36, 38, 43 to 49) and at Izzatnagar (Survey Nos 5/1 to 23) situated near Hitec City in Serilingampally mandal, Rs 2,850 per square metre was paid by applicants who have a land of 1,001 to 3,000 sq.mtrs, Rs 1,425 per sq. mtr by those who have 301 to 1,000 sq.mtrs and Rs 950 a sqm by those who have an extent less than 300 sqm.

The proceeds of the regularisation were be given to the Gurukul Trust for carrying out its declared charitable activities for which it was formed. The trust was formed to feed orphans, provide education to destitutes, protect the cow and propagate Sanatana Dharma. However, GHMC officials say that the lands were disputed and came under the ULC Act and the GHMC, therefore, did not regularise the buildings there under the schemes (BRS and LRS). That made this issue even more complex.  The new government is expected to clear the air after their review meetings today, chaired by the CM himself. Guidelines are expected to be given on the regularization exercise and the scope of demolitions to be carried in next few days.