The Telangana High Court ordered the State and its registrars to stop the registration in Gandipet mandal, Rangareddy, to plots belonging to the Vattinagulapally Bhoodan Board until further order.

A Plea on Bhoodan Plot Registrations 

At the hearing of a PIL (public interest litigation) petition filed by former OU Professor K Purushottam Reddy, sought guidance from the Court to the State and its departments, so that the property of the board does not fall into the wrong hands, Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy gave this interim order. The petitioner stated that Bhoodan Board members, the income department, the registry department were “conniving” and granting registrations on plots at Bhoodan.

The bench ordered notices and sought responses within four weeks to the Revenue & Registration departments and officials of the Bhoodan Board. In its appeal, the petitioner claimed that the Rajannagari Malla Reddy as well as the eight owners of 29 acres of land in survey numbers 186 to 189 in Vattinagulapally donated their land to the Bhoodan movement led by Acharya Vinoba Bhave. In November 1955, the land was given to the Board of AP Bhoodan Yagna.

Even though the state later made a special act to control all these donated plots, it never took it seriously by its authorities to protect them. The right reasons or eligible people do not receive them. They just allow this to fall into the wrong hands, the petitioner said. In the light of a questioning by the Bhoodan bench, the counsel for the Bhoodan Board sought some time in order to notify the court about the status of the lands. The petitioner expressed his concern about the authorities being hand-picked by land grabbers.

Bhaskar Reddy, State Revenue Counsel, said that Bhoodan plots were included in the prohibited list under Section 22-A. The lot was donated to the Board, but they were not included in the revenue records. In some instances the entries were not filed. This situation is used by certain private interests. The petitioner told the bench that some privately owned Bhoodan plots are located in Vattinagulapally.

Even though this area falls under GO 111, where big structures and industrial activities are prohibited, the practice is prevalent said the petitioner. The bench sought the response to the pleas within four weeks from the Bhoodan board.

By: Shailaja K