HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday stayed the proposed e-auction of an 8.24-acre land parcel in Hakimpet village of Shaikpet mandal by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). Justice NV Shravan Kumar passed the interim order while hearing a batch of petitions concerning ownership claims over land in Survey No 102/1. The court directed that the auction be postponed until an on-ground survey is conducted and a report is submitted by Advocate Commissioners appointed by the court.
The commissioners, N Sridhar Reddy on behalf of the government and Shyamesh Agarwal on behalf of the petitioners, have been asked to inspect the site on July 4 and submit their findings before any further action is taken.
The dispute stems from earlier petitions filed by Yamuna Nagar Cooperative Housing Society and others challenging the fencing of 28.27 acres in Survey Nos 102/3 and 102/4/1 by revenue authorities in April last year. While those cases were pending, Sajjan Raj Jain and others challenged HMDA’s decision to auction the 8.24-acre parcel, alleging that the land belonged to cooperative societies and private individuals. They also contended that representations seeking cancellation of the auction had not been considered.
Government Pleader K Muralidhar Reddy told the court that the survey numbers covered nearly 323 acres comprising government land, patta land and around 43 acres assigned to beneficiaries, and maintained that fencing had been carried out only on government land.
The Hakimpet parcel was scheduled for e-auction on July 2. HMDA had fixed an upset price of `99 crore per acre and described the land as free from encumbrances with title vested in the state government. More than 50 prospective bidders attended a recent pre-bid meeting.
The High Court’s order applies only to the Hakimpet land. HMDA’s planned auctions of 68 developed plots in Medipally and 100 plots in Mokila are set to proceed as scheduled.