‘I Worked as Per the Constitution’: HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath Responds to Land Grab Allegations and Court Cases
HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath says government assets worth ₹1.50 lakh crore have been protected, six lakes restored, and 63 contempt cases filed against him by alleged land grabbers.
Hyderabad: HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath has said that he has been working in the spirit of the Constitution of India during his two-year tenure as Commissioner and has protected government properties, lakes and parks in accordance with Articles 21 and 48A of the Constitution. He claimed that the protected assets are valued at ₹1.50 lakh crore (17 billion dollars) in the market. He also alleged that land mafia and encroachers are misleading courts with false information and that he is currently facing 63 contempt cases, which he claimed were filed by major land grabbers.
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Government Properties Worth ₹1.50 Lakh Crore Protected
A.V. Ranganath said that during the last two years as HYDRAA Commissioner, he worked in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution and protected government properties, lakes and parks under Articles 21 and 48A.
He said the market value of the protected government assets is ₹1.50 lakh crore (17 billion dollars).
According to him:
- Six lakes have been completely restored.
- Restoration work on another 20 lakes is progressing rapidly.
- HYDRAA has reclaimed hundreds of encroached lakes and parks and thousands of acres of government land from influential encroachers and handed them back to the government during the past two years.
‘Land Mafia Misleading Courts With False Information’
Ranganath alleged that land mafia and land grabbers are misleading courts by providing false information.
He said HYDRAA has the courage to act because it works honestly, fearlessly and with commitment on the side of truth.
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Allegations Over Lothukunta Land Issue
Referring to the Lothukunta land issue, the HYDRAA Commissioner alleged that a real estate company, Shanta Sriram, attempted to take over government land worth nearly ₹10,000 crore.
He further alleged that the company blasted heritage hillocks worth ₹2,500 crore without permissions and destroyed hundreds of trees without obtaining any approvals.
According to him, HYDRAA initiated action after receiving complaints from the Save the Rocks Society, environmentalists, and local residents.
Ranganath further alleged that although the builder claimed the land was located three kilometres away, it entered and encroached upon 120 acres of government land and later filed a contempt case against him.
Commissioner Says He Is Facing 63 Contempt Cases
A.V. Ranganath stated that 63 contempt cases have been filed against him.
He alleged that all these cases were filed by influential land grabbers because he prevented attempts to encroach upon government land and lakes.
He specifically mentioned:
- A person who allegedly attempted to encroach upon Bathukamma Kunta Lake.
- Another person who allegedly tried to grab government land worth thousands of crores in Lothukunta.
- Sandhya Sridhar Rao, whom he alleged was attempting to construct large commercial complexes after grabbing plots belonging to ordinary people.
- Nalla Malla Reddy, whom he alleged attempted to grab plots belonging to thousands of Singareni workers.
- Mukheem, whom he described as a criminal mafia figure allegedly involved in encroaching upon government land and plots belonging to common people worth thousands of crores.
He said that preventing these alleged encroachments was the only reason he was facing the contempt cases.
‘I Have Full Faith in the Judiciary’
Ranganath said he would fight all the 63 contempt cases through legal means.
He stated that he has complete faith in the judiciary and has always worked with respect for the law.
He added that whether in the past, present or future, whatever responsibilities are assigned to him by the government, his goal is to deliver 100% results. He said he has been working with dedication and will continue to do so in the future.
HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath has defended his actions by stating that he worked according to the Constitution, protecting government assets, lakes and parks worth ₹1.50 lakh crore (17 billion dollars) over the past two years. He claimed that six lakes have been fully restored, work is underway on 20 more lakes, and that he is facing 63 contempt cases filed by influential land grabbers because of HYDRAA’s actions against alleged encroachments. He reiterated that he would fight the cases legally and expressed complete faith in the judiciary.
