Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s most sought-after neighbourhoods — Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and adjoining Shaikpet mandal — remain entangled in decades-old land disputes, with housing societies and private landowners locked in legal battles against the state govt.What began several decades ago has evolved into a maze of overlapping claims, fake survey numbers and unresolved land records, leaving thousands of acres under litigation.Officials estimate that nearly 2,000 acres in Hyderabad district are under dispute, with housing societies and individuals claiming ownership over land that the govt says belongs to the state. Revenue authorities acknowledge that discrepancies in records, lack of proper boundary demarcation and outdated surveys have fuelled these conflicts.The dispute is not limited to Yamuna Nagar Housing Society in Banjara Hills, which has challenged the alleged overlap between its land and plots auctioned by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority. More than half a dozen housing societies in Shaikpet mandal are also contesting the govt’s ownership claims.The Town Survey Land Records (TSLR) survey, conducted nearly 60 years ago, failed to conclusively establish ownership, and land records remain incomplete to this day.One prominent case involves the Godavari Cooperative House Building Society in Banjara Hills. Formed in 1982 with around 120 members, the society claims ownership of 10 acres on Road No. 10. Soon after the purchase, the govt challenged the title, leading to prolonged litigation that eventually reached the Supreme Court. At one stage, the govt considered regularising the land by collecting a fee from members, but the proposal was later dropped.“The courts have ordered mutation of the land in the revenue records in favour of the original owner (Raghunath), who sold it to the society, and subsequently in the society’s name. Proposals were sent to the govt on three occasions to regularise the land by collecting a fixed fee from members, who hold valid sale deeds. We remain hopeful of a positive decision, said Rama Raju Vegesna, secretary of the Godavari Cooperative House Building Society.Other housing societies in Banjara Hills are facing similar disputes. Radhika Housing Society is contesting ownership of 10 acres, while Great Banjara Society is locked in a dispute over part of its 14-acre holding.Land survey experts argue that the govt’s reliance on TSLR records is misplaced.“The TSLR survey entries are not conclusive proof of title and do not constitute records of rights. Courts have clarified this repeatedly. Of Hyderabad’s 16 mandals, only 14 were fully surveyed, while two were covered only partially,” said Ch V Subba Rao, retired joint director of the land survey and settlement department.He added that the difficult terrain in areas such as Shaikpet, characterised by rocky and uneven landscapes, made accurate surveys challenging. “Today we have modern equipment such as rovers and differential GPS that can precisely capture coordinates. In those days, surveys were conducted manually or with basic instruments,” he said.A senior revenue official who served in Shaikpet said the disputes have persisted since the 1980s. In 1989, the govt appointed a special-grade deputy collector to investigate the issue, uncovering instances where fake survey numbers had been used to encroach on govt land.“One cooperative housing society in Shaikpet mandal is currently in possession of 120 to 150 acres more than its original allocation. However, houses and buildings have come up on the land over the past three decades,” a former MRO of Shaikpet said.The problem extends beyond city’s upscale neighbourhoods. Colonies in Khairatabad, Tarnaka, Boudhanagar and parts of the Old City continue to face hurdles because of outdated land records and unresolved TSLR issues. In many cases, homeowners are unable to sell their properties because revenue records still classify them as assigned land, govt land or railway land.Officials say such issues frequently come to light when residents apply for building permissions through GHMC. Applications are referred to the revenue department, where scrutiny often reveals discrepancies in the old TSLR survey records, reviving disputes that have remained unresolved for generations.
