The Telangana High Court has directed authorities to maintain the status quo over a disputed parcel of land measuring about 4.23 acres in Kondapur, Serilingampally mandal, after a petition challenged actions taken by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and revenue officials.
The order was issued by Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy while hearing a writ petition filed by G. Narasimha Reddy, who questioned the legality of fencing and signboards installed by authorities on the land located in Survey Nos. 83 (part) and 84 (part). Officials had reportedly declared the property as designated college land protected by HYDRAA and erected fencing around the site.
Petitioner Alleges Action Taken Without Notice
According to the petitioner, the fencing of the land and installation of a government signboard were carried out without issuing any prior notice and without following due legal procedures. The petitioner argued that the authorities acted unilaterally by treating the property as government land.
Senior counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the land had been in the physical possession of the petitioner and that such possession was supported by earlier civil court decrees and police aid orders granted in previous litigation.
Dispute Over Urban Land Ceiling Proceedings
The petitioner’s counsel also argued that the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act proceedings relating to the land were no longer valid. According to the submission, the High Court had previously recorded that the ULC proceedings did not survive and that the government had never taken actual possession of the land.
On this basis, the petitioner contended that the property could not be treated as government land and that the fencing action by HYDRAA was unlawful.
Government Contests Claims
However, the standing counsel for the government argued that the Urban Land Ceiling proceedings had not been formally quashed and that their legal validity continued to exist. According to the government’s argument, the earlier proceedings still supported the claim that the land belonged to the state.
Court Directs Status Quo Until Counter Filed
After hearing arguments from both sides and taking note of the fact that fencing and official signboards had already been placed on the property, the High Court directed all parties to maintain the status quo over the land.
The court ordered the respondents, including HYDRAA and revenue authorities, to file their counter-affidavits. The matter will be taken up again after the authorities submit their responses.
The case highlights the growing number of legal disputes involving valuable land parcels in Hyderabad’s western corridor, particularly in areas such as Kondapur, Gachibowli, and HITEC City, where land values have increased significantly due to rapid urban development.
