HYDRAA reclaims ₹110-cr government land in Goshamahal

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has launched a major anti-encroachment drive in Kulsoompura village, located in Asifnagar mandal under the Goshamahal Assembly constituency. The operation targeted illegal occupation of government land valued at around ₹110 crore.

Officials reclaimed 1.30 acres in Survey No. 50, which had been encroached upon and rented out by a man named Ashok Singh, who allegedly leased the land to idol makers. The reclaimed property is now set to be used for the construction of double-bedroom houses for the poor, as part of the state government’s housing initiative.

The move came after the Hyderabad District Collector requested HYDRAA to take action following complaints from local residents. Upon joint verification with revenue officials, HYDRAA confirmed that the land indeed belonged to the government. Acting on the orders of HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, authorities cleared the illegal structures on Friday.

This was not the first attempt to reclaim the land - revenue officials had conducted similar eviction drives twice before, but Ashok Singh continued to occupy the site and collect rent. Despite obtaining a court ruling favoring the government, Ashok Singh reportedly resisted eviction and even assaulted officials during previous operations.

Police records show that Ashok Singh has over eight criminal cases registered against him across the Langer Houz, Mangalhat, and Shahinayatgunj police stations and is listed as a notorious land grabber and rowdy-sheeter.

The government has already built double-bedroom homes in the nearby area, and officials now plan to extend the project to the newly recovered land in Kulsoompura.

HYDRAA officials said the latest action reflects the state’s commitment to reclaiming public land and using it for welfare purposes, especially for affordable housing in densely populated localities where land availability is scarce.