Done: ArunHyderabad: In a major policy shift, the state govt has decided to permit conditional registrations on long-disputed Paigah lands, potentially regularising thousands of existing constructions across prime real estate pockets such as Hafeezpet, Kondapur and areas near Hi-Tec City while unlocking an estimated Rs 1,000 crore in registration revenue.The decision is expected to benefit thousands of property owners whose buildings, apartments and gated communities have come up over decades on lands covered under Civil Suit (CS) No. 14 of 1958 and Civil Suit (CS) No. 7 of 1958, where ownership disputes between the govt and private parties remain unresolved.Spread across nearly 1,500 acres in Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri districts, the Paigah lands have been at the centre of litigation for more than six decades. Officials estimate that constructions have already come up on nearly 600 acres, particularly in Serilingampally mandal, where large-scale development occurred despite the continuing disputes.One of the most prominent examples is Hafeezpet, where disputed Paigah lands in survey Nos. 77 to 80 have witnessed extensive urbanisation. Of the 484 acres in survey No. 80 alone, officials estimate that buildings, apartment complexes and gated communities now cover 430 acres, leaving little vacant land.Officials said that in several instances the govt lost court cases, including in the Supreme Court, resulting in registrations being carried out based on judicial orders. In other cases, high-rise permissions were granted by GHMC following court directions.At present, registrations on Paigah lands remain largely prohibited, except those permitted through court orders. Sources said the govt is also considering allowing registrations in certain Gurukul Trust and Ayyappa Society lands.Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy recently announced that the govt would remove CS-14 and CS-7 lands from the prohibited list under section 22-A and allow ‘conditional registrations‘, under which registration documents would clearly state that ownership rights remain subject to the final outcome of pending proceedings before the Supreme Court and high court.Revenue department principal secretary DS Lokesh Kumar told TOI that the govt would issue instructions on CS-14 and CS-7 lands on a case-by-case basis, considering the various court judgements relating to the properties.Officials said the origins of the dispute date back to 1958. Among the two cases, CS-14 is considered particularly significant as it relates to the partition of the Matruka properties of Nawab Khursheed Jah Paigah. Over the years, courts have passed final decrees in several properties, many of which have subsequently been upheld by the Supreme Court, although the state govt continues to assert ownership claims over portions of the land.“The state govt issued a memo in May 2009, based on the expert committee’s suggestion, directed mutation in favour of the decree holders and their registered assignees over the CS 14 lands. Later, the lands were kept under 22-A of the Indian Registration Act prohibiting registrations,” sources in the govt said.Despite being on the prohibited list, large-scale unauthorised construction continued.Officials pointed out that in survey Nos. 77 to 80 of Hafeezpet village, where court decrees have been confirmed up to the Supreme Court level, the lands remain under prohibition. In survey No. 80, only about 50 acres remain vacant, while the rest is occupied by residential colonies and commercial developments.Similar disputes persist elsewhere. In survey No. 172 of Hydernagar village near Kukatpally, spread over 192 acres, the Supreme Court in June 2023 asked private parties, except in respect of 54 acres covered under OSA No. 55 of 2004, to establish ownership afresh. In Ghansimiyaguda near Shamshabad, lands in survey Nos. 3 and 4 continue to face encroachments, while certain CS-7 lands are in Hasmathpet and other areas.While the land covered by OSA 55 is exempt from the SC judgement in survey no 172 Hydernagar village, the state govt is thinking to utilize the land for 2 BHK housing scheme for the poor in the balance land.
