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Articles: TP Features | The `Power' of Land
- Mr. Sreenivas YL
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The value of the land increased phenomenally during last two, three years in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts much to the advantage of real estate brokers. There have been instances where real estate brokers have ensured artificial escalation of price. When the prices of land are increasing rather irrationally in and around Hyderabad and are going beyond the reach of a common man, every one thought that state government would make critical intervention to impede escalation. After all there must some strong reason for the price hike? But this did not happen. What has happened here is something unprecedented in the history of any state government in India. A state owned institution namely Hyderabad Urban Development Authority has taken the role of real estate broker and is actively participating in both escalating the price and in selling away the government property. HUDA of course has a right to acquire land for public purposes. But it is obvious that it has been misusing this provision to acquire land for commercial purposes. The acquisition of land for proposed Ring Road in Ranga Reddy district evidence the fact that HUDA has acquired land from ordinary farmers, disproportionate to its actual requirements of laying of Ring road. Once the ring road comes HUDA would perhaps auction the land along the ring road ranging from 1 to 5 kilometers radius. This is something which no state government in a democratic set up would do. You acquire land for minimal price showing public purpose and later you auction the land at exorbitant prices. There are instances where HUDA started acquiring land of the housing societies which are duly constituted as per the government norms. For instance, at Tellapur in RR District, HUDA served a notice on industrial housing workers society to acquire its land. The reason which HUDA cited to acquire this land is to develop a larger residential area. Those who have seen HUDA in the last two years know for sure that once the land is acquired it will go for auction of plots. No one understands the purpose of acquiring duly allotted house sites to develop a residential complex.
As a cumulative impact of all this, land prices have gone beyond the reach of the common man in and around Hyderabad city. A common tax payer or a citizen cannot even dream of owning a house in Hyderabad. Under the circumstance the decision of the government of allotting 230 odd acres of land to MLAs, MPS, IAS, IPS officer, Judges of High Court and the journalists needs to be analyzed carefully for it has larger implications in terms of enhancing already growing cynicism of the people.
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