Pioneering Committee to resolve defence land inconsistencies
Hyderabad: Due to lack of coordination between the state revenue department and the DEO, the survey of the state’s defence land is getting delayed.
Overview:
Headed by the special commissioner – Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) as chairperson the state government has set up a committee to resolve defence land related issues. IVR Krishna Rao the Chief commissioner of land administration, announced the committee on Monday the 3rd of June 2013.
A V Dharma Reddy the Defence estates officer belonging to the Andhra Pradesh circle, was announced as the convenor. Each and every joint collector in the state would be its members. The most prominent reason of setting up of the committee is to resolve the mutation process of defence land and survey quickly.
All twenty three districts within the state and eleven districts in Maharashtra come under the Defence Estates Office, AP circle, Hyderabad jurisdiction.
Function:
Till date none of the states in India had set up an entirely separate committee to deal with issues related to the defence land pertaining to the state government. Numerous cases are pending in courts as local revenue authorities took up the processing of mutation of defence land. As a result, land prices accounting to crores of rupees were passed into the hands of private people.
The recent initiatives of the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration would translate into better coordination between the local defence estate and revenue officials. The status of mutations and other land-related issues would be reviewed on a monthly basis by the committee.
Background:
Working permission along with the transfer of 1967.992 square yards of defence land was handed over to Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) by the Ministry of Defence and local military authorities. The land was a part of the Military Hospital located within the Golconda premises. The Defence Estate Officer, A.P. Circle Secunderabad received a compensation of Rs. 1,96,79,920 from the HMDA towards the transfer of the above defence land.
The land inconsistency involving the Defence Ministry in Andhra Pradesh began back in February of 2010. The inconsistency revolves around the transfer of 15.30 acres of prime defence land to the private sports body – Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) without the prior approval of the President of India.
Affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the HCA wanted to build a cricket school, club and a stadium on the property. The HCA bought the property at a meager Rs 1.88 crore along with an annual rent of Rs 13 lakh. The market value of the land was calculated at approximately Rs 120 crore.
As on the 12th of April 2013, the Defence Ministry directed the HCA to return the land within a month. Furthermore, Defence Minister A K Antony has initiated a probe to identify the role of ministry officials in the unauthorized land transfer.
Story So Far:
a. 5.71 acres of land was sanctioned by the Ministry of Defence (DGDE) in 1992 for the construction of a stadium, cricket school and a club on payment of annual rent of Rs 13,11,434 along with a premium of Rs 1,88,53,793 for a period of 60 years. The deal was further modified to include an extra 9.59 acres of land to be leased out.
b. HCA defaulted pay the rent as well as the premium. In 1995, the officials were requested by the HCA to allow them to make the payment in installments.
c. DGDE cancelled its earlier sanction regarding the lease of Gymkhana ground, in 1996.
d. The DEO was directed by the Ministry of Defence to recover outstanding dues of Rs 2,54,10,968., in 1997.
e. In 1999, HCA was informed by the DGDE, that it was unable to consider any request for extension of lease as the latter had failed to clear its dues.
f. HCA paid the dues in 2009.
g. In 2010, DEO PNB Sarma executed a lease deed for 60 years giving HCA 15.30 acres of land.
h. In 2013, DEO AV Dharma Reddy says the lease deed is illegal and asks HCA to return the land.
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Defence land, DGDE, HCA, Hyderabad Cricket Association, Hyderabad defence land, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority
