Raidurg land dispute: Telangana, SBI near settlement ahead of High Court hearing

HYDERABAD: The long-pending dispute between the Telangana government and the State Bank of India (SBI) over a five-acre land parcel at Raidurg is likely to end this week. Both sides have moved closer to a negotiated settlement ahead of the High Court hearing expected in the third week of July. The government has ruled out […]<![CDATA[HYDERABAD: The long-pending dispute between the Telangana government and the State Bank of India (SBI) over a five-acre land parcel at Raidurg is likely to end this week. Both sides have moved closer to a negotiated settlement ahead of the High Court hearing expected in the third week of July. The government has ruled out returning the original land. Instead, it has offered SBI 2.5 acres within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits and seven acres in Future City as an alternative. Sources said SBI accepted the 2.5-acre plot. However, after discussions at its board meeting, the bank sought 10 acres in Future City instead of the seven acres proposed by the government. Government officials said they have agreed in principle to allot 10 acres in Future City. Under the proposal, seven acres will serve as compensation for the disputed Raidurg land. SBI will have to purchase the remaining three acres at the prevailing market price. However, SBI has requested that the government allot the entire 10 acres as alternative land.

Government aims to end court battle

The Telangana government wants to settle the issue before the High Court hearing. It has urged SBI to withdraw its petition challenging the Raidurg land auction. The breakthrough came during a high-level meeting at the Secretariat on June 27. During the meeting, both sides agreed in principle to settle the dispute through the allotment of alternative land. The meeting followed earlier discussions held on June 22. An SBI team inspected the proposed sites on June 23. The bank later conveyed its acceptance, subject to board approval and completion of court formalities.

Dispute began with 2010 land allotment

The dispute began on August 6, 2010, when the then Andhra Pradesh government allotted five acres in Survey No. 83/1 at Raidurg to the erstwhile State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) for ₹13.30 crore. SBH planned to build an office complex on the site. The government handed over possession in January 2011. However, SBH did not begin construction. After issuing several notices over non-utilisation of the land, the then Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), now the Telangana Government Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), cancelled the allotment on January 22, 2021. It resumed possession of the land on February 1, 2021. After SBH merged with SBI, the bank challenged the cancellation in the High Court. During the legal proceedings, the government offered alternative sites at Osmannagar and Gandipet. It maintained that SBI had failed to use the allotted land despite repeated opportunities. The government continues to argue that allotting alternative land is the most practical way to resolve the long-running dispute. ]]>

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