Who owns SCB lands, state or the Centre?

[hyperbole]

a nice read on history of secunderabad 

News

HYDERABAD: The claims on the cantonment land in Secunderabad by the state government are said to go against the conventional wisdom, which holds that public lands in cantonments belong to Centre.

According to experts, the British either conquered the lands or had otherwise got the land ownership which was passed to the government of India in 1947. But Secunderabad Cantonment was not located in British India. Hyderabad was a sovereign princely state prior to 1948.

There are 62 cantonments in India. They were originally set up by the British to house troops, troop families and civilians who supplied goods and service to the troops. Now, the Central government (ministry of defence) directly administers all cantonments.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao recently made a statement in the Assembly that public lands in Secunderabad Cantonment belonged to the state government.  

The claim is important because it has a bearing on the resolution of several pressing public issues. These include: Civilians being denied access to several public roads passing through cantonment by military authorities, impossible financial demands made by the Centre when the state approached it for land for road widening, Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP), and for improving the abysmal civic infrastructure in cantonment.

A little history is useful to understand who owns public lands in Secunderabad Cantonment today.

The East India Company did not conquer Hyderabad. Rather, it signed a treaty (Treaty of Subsidiary Alliance) with the 2nd Nizam, Ali Khan, at the end of the 18th century. This treaty mandated that both parties would provide their troops to each other against common enemies.

As a result of the treaty, a “subsidiary force” of British troops was stationed in Hyderabad. The Nizam allocated an area near Hussainsagar (today's Kavadiguda) for their camp. Traders from all over India came in to provide goods and services to the troops. The new town which emerged was named Secunderabad in 1806, after the then Nizam Sikandar Jah.

Like the British, the Nizam also was treaty-bound to provide for his troops. He did so. But the British, claiming that Nizam's troops were poorly trained, convinced him that they would raise a fresh contingent of local troops (at Nizam's expense). This contingent came to be called “Hyderabad Contingent”. It was quartered in Bolarum, 10 km north of Secunderabad.

The crucial point is this: Though the Nizam allowed the British to occupy land for military purposes, he did not give them ownership of that land. We know this through the following evidence available in the national archives and from other archival records.

In 1906, Bolarum, Secunderabad and 13 intervening villages were merged to form the single area now called Secunderabad. The firman issued by the Nizam to formalise this merger clearly states that land ownership in the merged area remained with the original owners.

Though the Nizam allowed the British to occupy land for military purposes, he did not give them ownership of the land, as per historic documents. The British themselves undertook several exercises to see whether they owned any land in Secunderabad. The most elaborate such exercise was by Sir William Barton in 1926. All these exercises concluded that the British did not own any land in Secunderabad.

A large portion of the land was directly owned by the Nizam himself. Another significant chunk was under paigahs and jagirdars who were allowed to collect land revenue – but even this land was ultimately owned by the Nizam. Some land - diwani – belonged to the Hyderabad government. The rest was privately owned.

By the time of the Operation Polo in 1948, sarf-e-khas and jagir lands together accounted for almost 80,000 sq. km. out of the 2,10,000 sq. km. total area of Hyderabad. Opression of peasants by the aristocracy led to a violent, communist-supported revolt a few years earlier. This revolt was still ongoing when the Indian Army entered in 1948.

To quell the revolt, a more equitable distribution of land was necessary. Documents show that the ministry of states under Sardar Patel instructed Maj. Gen. J. N. Chaudhuri (who had been appointed Military Governor after he led the Indian Army into Hyderabad) to convince the Nizam to hand over sarf-e-khas and jagir lands to the state. There were tortuous and protracted negotiations between the two. The privy purse offered to the Nizam was raised to Rs 1 crore every year. Other concessions were also made. Finally, the Nizam agreed. He issued a firman announcing that he was handing over these lands to the state. Two regulations were passed in 1948 to formalise ‘Hyderabad Sarf-e-Khas (Merger) Regulation 1358F’ and ‘Hyderabad (Abolition of Jagirs) Regulation 1358F’. Thus, overnight, 80,000 sq. km. of land owned by the aristocracy became diwani, or state land. This was perhaps the largest land reform in independent India.

Strangely though, a new general land register prepared by the government of India in 1956 (after merger of Hyderabad with India) shows all public lands in cantonment as belonging to the government of India!

In 1933, the British prepared the first comprehensive land record of Secunderabad. The special lands officer appointed for preparing this ‘general land register (GLR)’ stated that the British did not own any land in Secunderabad.

Twice in the 20th century, the Nizam took back land which was no longer required for military purposes. In 1933 he took back Chaderghat Municipality, including the British Residency (today's Koti Women's College) and the Residency Bazars. In 1946, he took back the town area of Secunderabad, south of today's Rashtrapathi Road.

It thus seems clear the reality of ownership of public lands in Secunderabad Cantonment is different from that in other cantonments. The cantonment's land record needs to be corrected to reflect this.

Importantly, this also meant that sarf-e-khas, jagir and paigah lands inside Secunderabad Cantonment – which accounted for the entire public land in cantonment - also became state land.

Strangely though, a new General Land Register prepared by Govt of India in 1956 (after merger of Hyderabad with India) shows all public lands in cantonment as belonging to Govt of India!

However, whenever the matter has been examined deeply – by government or by courts – the Central Government's claim of ownership has been rejected. In 1956 Govt of India actually had to purchase Rashtrapathi Nilayam – the erstwhile Bolarum Residency of the British - from Govt of Andhra Pradesh, showing that the premises were property of the state government. Many individual court cases have successfully challenged the Central government's claim of land ownership in cantonment. There are Resolutions of Secunderabad Cantonment Board, and even internal reports of Government of India, which conclude that the Central government does not own public lands in Secunderabad Cantonment. Even the recent Hyderabad High Court judgement upholding state government's ownership of Kokapet lands relied on the 1948 sarf-e-khas Merger Regulation.

It thus seems clear that ownership of public lands in Secunderabad Cantonment is different from the other cantonments. The cantonment's land record needs to be corrected to reflect this.

[Spartan]

 

[BeerBob123]

Matter in 1 line please 

[Spartan]

1 minute ago, BeerBob123 said:

Matter in 1 line please 

prime land mingali

ela ante ilanti tavvakalu baita petti propaganda modal pettali

hidden agenda is Sec MP seat ki tender for 2024

[BeerBob123]

1 minute ago, Spartan said:

prime land mingali

ela ante ilanti tavvakalu baita petti propaganda modal pettali

hidden agenda is Sec MP seat ki tender for 2024

Tappu BJP de kada?

mana kaaka vesadu antey definite ga vallade Yyuntadi 

[Spartan]

2 minutes ago, BeerBob123 said:

Tappu BJP de kada?

mana kaaka vesadu antey definite ga vallade Yyuntadi 

ade prove cheyali 

aalu gadda gadu vadi pappu koduku ni gelpinchukoleka poyadu last time

idi foundation…

vadi campaign video chuste telustadi lol lolesham is 1000 time better than him

[hyperbole]

6 minutes ago, Spartan said:

prime land mingali

ela ante ilanti tavvakalu baita petti propaganda modal pettali

hidden agenda is Sec MP seat ki tender for 2024

SCB doesn’t come under secunderabad, it is malakajigiri consistency- revantham sir

land kavasindi flyover ki, akkada edo estate planning nadusta ledu

[Spartan]

Just now, hyperbole said:

SCB doesn’t come under secunderabad, it is malakajigiri consistency- revantham sir

maredpally to nedermet road kosam lolli idanta

[hyperbole]

5 minutes ago, Spartan said:

maredpally to nedermet road kosam lolli idanta

22 roads unnayi vallu close chestivi kani main flyover suchtra nundi nagpur highway varaku 10-12 kms

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/four-elevated-corridors-proposed-to-ease-traffic/article35415928.ece/amp/

 

Hyderabad: Two key skyway projects still remain on paper since 2017

8 months ago

Hyderabad: Two of the most-awaited skyways for the city, one from Patny to Kandlakoya via Suchitra Junction and the other, from near the Gymkhana Cricket Stadium or Jubilee Bus Stand in Secunderabad towards the Outer Ring Road till near Turkapally, have been hanging in balance since 2017.

When Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday voiced his disappointment at the Union government for ignoring repeated pleas for handing over Defence land, he had reason to do so. The two skyways were proposed by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority way back in 2017. The aim was to decongest traffic in parts of Secunderabad, provide hassle-free movement in localities falling under the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) and ensure seamless commuting for people entering and exiting the city via the Nagpur Highway and Siddipet.

The first skyway, from Gymkhana Cricket Stadium connecting the ORR near Shamirpet, would ease traffic at multiple busy junctions including Alwal, Lothkunta and Bolarum. The three ramps (up and down) at strategic locations would also ease traffic in several localities falling under the SCB apart from reducing the commuting woes of people heading towards Siddipet and decongesting traffic on Rajiv Rahadari.

The second skyway from Patny to Kandlakoya also would have multiple ramps at major junctions like Suchitra Junction and Tadbund. Apart from decongesting the traffic in city limits near Suchitra Junction and again, the Secunderabad area, this skyway would ease traffic heading towards the Nagpur Highway and people commuting to and from Hyderabad to Nizamabad would be benefited. As per the original designs, both the skyways run-up to a length of 18.5 km each.

The plans were drawn out with funds worth Rs 5,000 crore to be readied as well, all in 2017 itself. But the projects remained on paper because the skyways would pass through Defence areas, for which the State government would need to acquire 160 acres of land falling under the Local Military Authority’s jurisdiction. Till date, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not instructed the LMA to hand over the land to the State government.

And this, even after Minister KT Rama Rao requesting former Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in 2018 and meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in 2019. A request was also made to Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy in 2020. In 2018, the State government also said it was ready to allot 600 acres in Shamirpet in lieu of the land allocated by the LMA. Still, the promises from Delhi have not been kept, and the projects have been delayed for four years now.

[Spartan]

1 minute ago, hyperbole said:

22 roads unnayi vallu close chestivi kani main flyover suchtra nundi nagpur highway varaku 10-12 kms

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/four-elevated-corridors-proposed-to-ease-traffic/article35415928.ece/amp/

yes but this main road is point of congestion 

ade musugu lo politics play chestunnaru

age old fight from all state govts to grab the prime area

[hyperbole]

5 minutes ago, Spartan said:

yes but this main road is point of congestion 

ade musugu lo politics play chestunnaru

age old fight from all state govts to grab the prime area

Em luddula politics, akkada roads close cheste ambulances ki school kids kuda allow cheyaru, central government notice ichindi not to close roads, LMA galla G balupu officers golf adinappudalla roads close chestaru anta, center notice lu kuda dekata leru vallu. A lot of them protesting again are ex servicemen residing in sainikpuri and adjoining areas

[r2d2]

8 minutes ago, Spartan said:

age old fight from all state govts to grab the prime area

It will get resolved.. when BJP comes to power.. and probably with Ch VidyaSagar Rao as CM…

[Spartan]

4 minutes ago, hyperbole said:

Em luddula politics, akkada roads close cheste ambulances ki school kids kuda allow cheyaru, central government notice ichindi not to close roads, LMA galla G balupu officers golf adinappudalla roads close chestaru anta, center notice lu kuda dekata leru vallu. A lot of them protesting again are ex servicemen residing in sainikpuri and adjoining areas

there is different kind of politics going on anna behind the scenes

ippudu nunchi kaadu Geeta Reddy YSR unnapudu nunchi started this 

[Spartan]

1 minute ago, r2d2 said:

It will get resolved.. when BJP comes to power.. and probably with Ch VidyaSagar Rao as CM…

it will not 

[hyperbole]