Harish Rao Opposes Move to Transfer 15,984-Sq-Yard Azamabad Land to Private Party

BRS Deputy Floor Leader T. Harish Rao on Sunday opposed the Telangana government's reported move to transfer 15,984 square yards of prime Telangana Oilfed land in the Azamabad Industrial Area, near RTC Cross Roads in Hyderabad, to a private individual.

In an open letter addressed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Harish Rao demanded that the proposal be scrapped immediately and requested that freehold rights over the property be granted to Telangana Oilfed instead. He alleged that the Congress administration was turning valuable public land into a benefit for private individuals rather than safeguarding government assets.

Harish Rao stated that the parcel of land is currently worth around Rs 500 crore in the open market, but the government was proposing to hand it over for Rs 87 crore. He noted that Oilfed itself was prepared to pay the Rs 87 crore using funds kept ready through fixed deposits to secure freehold rights over the property.

Outlining the history of the site, Harish Rao explained that the land was originally leased to a private company in 1954 to operate an oil mill. Following violations of lease terms, the government cancelled the lease in 1974. After the company challenged the decision in court, a 1987 Supreme Court judgment allowed the private firm to retain only 1,277 square yards.

The remaining 15,984 square yards were resumed by the government and transferred to Oilfed in 1991 through Government Order (GO) No. 93. Harish Rao noted that Oilfed has maintained continuous possession and use of the property for more than three decades.

He recalled that an attempt was made to revive the cancelled lease through GO No. 366 in 2003, after which the government issued a show-cause notice in 2015 regarding the withdrawal of that order. In 2022, the High Court directed the government to take a final decision on the issue.

Harish Rao questioned the rationale behind a reported proposal that would leave only around 1,800 square yards with Oilfed while transferring the remainder to a private party. He called on the state government to issue a clear statement and warned that the BRS would continue to oppose the move until the proposal is withdrawn.