Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday, December 10, questioned whether GOs issued by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government allowing regularisation of encroachments on government land in Banjara Hills favoured GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi and her brother K Venkateshwara Rao.
The two are children of K Keshava Rao, who left BRS and joined the Congress in July 2024.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ghouse Meera Mohiuddin was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Gadeela Raghuveer Reddy.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that a government order issued in May 2023 violated the state’s land regularisation policy, notified in GO 59 of 2014. It said that the 2023 order allowed regularisation of 1,161 square yards in favour of Rao at a rate of Rs 2,500 per sq yd and a parcel of 425 sq yd in favour of the mayor at a rate of Rs 350 per sq yd.
The petitioner stated that this land fell in a notified slum area of NBT Nagar, Banjara Hills and has a market value of Rs 60,300 per sq yd; however, the land was given to the Rao and Gadwal at rates of 1998 and 1993, respectively.
The court expressed concern at the activity and stated that it might take up rectification of the regularisation orders if necessary and adjourned the matter to January 7.
