SBI agrees to alternate plots as Raidurg land dispute ends
The land parcel (in survey numbers 100 & 101) in Miyapur abuts the National Highway-65, according to sources. Incidentally, the Hyderabad Metro Rail depot at Miyapur is part of the land parcel, valued at over Rs 25,000 crore. Whatever limited rights existed were extinguished by the AP (Telangana Area) (Abolition of Jagirs) Regulation, in force from Aug 15, 1949, under which jagirs were included in the ‘Diwani’ and the jagirdars’ powers and rights had ceased. Even assuming the land was settled on their predecessor under the 1929 firman, the court said, it conveyed no title and any interest was extinguished by the Abolition Regulation.
“We find no perversity in the findings recorded by both the special court and the high court on this aspect,” a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, said. The court said it saw no reason to invoke equity, describing the matter as “a clear-cut case of attempts being made to grab valuable land vested in the state”. Since the appellants’ own title was lacking, “there was no question of granting equitable relief”, the bench held. It said the documents had not passed the tests of admissibility, relevancy and proof, were never mentioned in the Reilly Commission (which inquired into the settlement of Paigah estates and the inter se claims) report or any earlier proceeding, and contradicted a century of public state records.
The court, however, held that a jagir was a grant of rights in respect of land revenue, not of title, and that the firman itself restricted sale, mortgage or gift without the Nizam’s sanction. The apex court also found that adverse possession was neither proved nor available.
Reacting to the development, the chief minister’s office (CMO) in an official release stated: “A special initiative by chief minister A Revanth Reddy led to the resolution of the Miyapur case pending for 23 years. The CM directed officials to expedite legal proceedings to protect these highly valuable govt land parcels, it added.