The Telangana High Court on Wednesday instructed the Bhoodan Board and the State government to place before it the details of lands donated by different persons during Bhoodan movement.
Hearing two separate pleas seeking an inquiry into status of Bhoodan lands in Nagaram village of Maheshwaram mandal in Ranga Reddy, Justice K. Lakshman passed the interim direction. He also wanted the Bhoodan Board and the government to furnish details of the lands redistributed to the landless and the current status of all land parcels held by the Board.
Additional Advocate General T. Rajanikanth Reddy said the government was ready to constitute a commission of inquiry if the court ordered for probe into all the lands belonging to Bhoodan Board and issues related to it. However, the government was opposing setting up such an inquiry commission in the present case as the petitioners were espousing a private cause, he said.
The petitioners contended that some persons got ownership of the lands held by Bhoodan Board transferred in conspiracy with the Revenue and other department officials. According to them, parts of these lands under specific survey numbers were sold off by middlemen to scores of IAS and IPS officers. Some of them are retired now.
Earlier, a single judge of the HC directed the government to keep certain lands specified by one of the petitioners under prohibited list till adjudication of the plea. The serving and retired officials, who were made respondents in this writ petition, moved the division bench headed by the then Acting Chief Justice for vacation of the restraint order.
The bench, however, directed them to approach the single judge bench for modification of the order that was passed. The officers contended that the issues raised over transfer of Bhoodan lands belonged to four different survey numbers. They maintained that the lands they had purchased were not at all connected to Bhoodan Board.
The counsel for the petitioner who sought constitution of the enquiry commission did not turn up for the hearing on Wednesday and sought time for presentation of arguments. The counsel for the senior officials argued that the petitioners moved the HC without any locus standi. The courts cannot pass orders to put the lands in prohibited list without the petitioners presenting proof of ownership of the land under dispute, he said.
The pleas would be heard again on Thursday.
Published – July 30, 2025 08:22 pm IST