Senior BRS leader T Harish Rao has alleged a massive land scam worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore in Shamshabad, involving 170 acres of government land in survey numbers 173 and 183 in Peddashapur village. He claimed that the land was illegally converted into private patta land and demanded a detailed investigation by the CID or SIT, suspension of the tahsildar, and restoration of the land to the prohibited list.
Press Conference Allegations
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Harish accused the Congress government of failing to protect public assets while neglecting farmers and public welfare promises. He stated that the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) had clearly identified the land as government land and instructed the tahsildar to protect it from encroachment and include it in the prohibited list under Section 22-A. This was also mentioned in an affidavit submitted before the Telangana High Court on January 30, 2026.
Contradictory Actions by Tahsildar
Harish pointed out that the tahsildar himself confirmed on February 24 that the land belonged to the government. However, within just four days, on February 28, the same tahsildar reportedly passed orders declaring the land as private property. “How did government land suddenly become private land within four days?” Harish questioned. He alleged that despite contradictory reports from the RDO and tahsildar, the matter was still presented before the high court, raising serious doubts over the role of senior officials.
Questions on Official Complicity
The former minister questioned how the collector approved such orders and how the advocate general cleared them despite the dispute involving valuable government land. He alleged that ACB officials had initially attempted to investigate the matter but later withdrew due to pressure from influential people in the government. “Who are the powerful people protecting the MRO? Their names must come out,” he demanded.
Bhu Bharati Online Records Manipulation
Harish also questioned how the land was entered into the Bhu Bharati online records without mandatory approvals from the RDO, as required by law. He alleged that the mutation process was completed overnight and the entire 170 acres of government land was illegally converted into private patta land. “If the government is truly transparent and has no involvement in this land scam, it should immediately dismiss the officers and protect government land,” he said.
Government Response
Reacting to the allegations, Rangareddy Collector Narayan Reddy said the Peddashapur land was not converted into patta land on the Bhu Bharati portal. He provided details stating that land parcels in survey numbers 172 to 183 were recorded as patta land in the 1954-55 Khasra Pahani. The Rajendra Nagar Land Reforms Tribunal and the RDO, in February 2026, declared 74 acres in various survey numbers as ceiling surplus land and recorded them under prohibition 22-A.
Legal Proceedings
Some people had earlier approached the court after their names were not entered and passbooks were not issued for 94 acres of land in the same survey numbers. There are three court cases, including a contempt case, filed by individuals claiming ownership of the land, with the next hearing scheduled for June 12. As the court had earlier directed officials to issue passbooks and carry out mutations for lands other than those under status quo, the government will file an appeal after the high court vacations are over, the collector said.
