In a significant move to reclaim public property, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) launched a massive operation on Sunday, September 21st, in Gajularamaram, Qutbullapur mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district. This coordinated effort targeted and successfully removed extensive encroachments by influential individuals from government land.
The operation resulted in the liberation of over 317 acres, including land identified under survey number 307, which had been illegally occupied for various ventures, unauthorized layouts, and temporary constructions. The value of the government property secured through this decisive action is estimated to be a colossal ₹15,000 crore.
During the drive, authorities systematically demolished numerous illegal structures, including sheds, guard posts, and other unauthorized constructions. These were primarily erected by political figures, real estate developers, and, in some instances, even allegedly by government officials. To prevent any further illegal occupation, fencing is now being installed around the newly reclaimed areas.
HYDRAA’s crackdown also extended to smaller, more localized encroachment schemes within survey numbers 329/1 and 342. Here, plots as small as 60 to 120 square yards were found to have been illicitly sold to private buyers, reportedly by local thugs and, astonishingly, with the alleged complicity of some revenue officials. Investigations revealed that these fraudulently acquired plots were then being rented out or resold without any legitimate authority.
Officials emphasized that their actions were strictly limited to the removal of unlawful structures under the control of encroachers, and no homes belonging to genuine, legal residents were affected. The agency confirmed that this extensive operation was the culmination of over six months of meticulous investigation and multiple collaborative meetings with officials from GHMC, revenue departments, and the Finance Corporation, ensuring all demolitions were based on thoroughly verified complaints and official survey records.
Despite the careful planning, the operation was not without its challenges. Some residents gathered at the site to protest, confronting HYDRAA authorities and demanding accountability from those who had originally sold them the illegally constructed properties, rather than penalizing the buyers. The protests escalated at times, with some individuals resorting to stone-throwing, leading to police intervention and arrests.