BJP MP Eatala Rajender Protests HYDRAA Land Demolition in Hasmathpet

Malkajgiri BJP MP Eatala Rajender staged a protest on Sunday in Hasmathpet, Balanagar mandal, demanding a land ownership inquiry after the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) demolished houses belonging to economically weaker sections. The protest followed a demolition drive that cleared 10 acres of disputed land, valued at an estimated ₹750 crore.

Mr. Rajender visited the demolition site in the Medchal Malkajgiri district on Sunday, a day after HYDRAA cleared the encroached land. He accused the Telangana government of misusing the agency to selectively target the poor rather than addressing the role of land grabbers who created illegal layouts.

Speaking to affected local residents, the BJP MP highlighted conflicting claims over the ownership of the land in Survey No. 1. He noted that some claimed the land belongs to the Archaeology department, others maintained it is government land, and some asserted it is private property.

"It should have been the responsibility of the Revenue department to establish the actual ownership before any demolition was undertaken," Mr. Rajender said.

The MP further alleged that the demolition was deliberately carried out on a Saturday evening when courts were closed, preventing families from seeking legal relief. Many of the affected residents had purchased 60-square-yard plots after years of hard work and sacrifice, and some had even been paying property tax.

Mr. Rajender stated that HYDRAA was initially expected to protect lakes, nalas, and government lands from encroachments by land grabbers. However, he alleged that the agency's focus has instead turned towards demolishing houses built by economically weaker sections. He argued that the government should have acted against those who originally developed and sold the disputed layouts rather than demolishing the houses of the purchasers.

He demanded that the government identify genuine beneficiaries who purchased plots in good faith and issue them permanent ownership certificates where legally permissible. He also urged the prosecution of brokers, encroachers, and officials responsible for the illegal transactions, adding that authorities should recover money from those who sold the plots if the land is confirmed to be government property.