HC upholds RDO’s authority on tenant rights in Gachibowli land dispute

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has ruled that the authority to determine tenants’ rights lies with the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO). The court upheld that out of the total 190.17 acres of disputed land located across several survey numbers in Gachibowli, ownership rights over 36.7 acres belong to protected tenants.

The High Court delivered this judgment while dismissing multiple petitions filed by the Diamond Hills Association and its members, who claimed ownership of the same lands.

They argued that they had purchased the property and thus possessed legal ownership rights. Earlier, the Joint Collector had annulled the RDO’s decision, stating that tenant rights were not applicable as the agricultural land had been converted for residential use.

40 petitions filed to challenge decision

Nearly 40 petitions were filed before the High Court challenging this decision.

After an extensive hearing, Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy pronounced the verdict, validating the RDO’s order that recognised the tenants’ ownership rights. He observed that the Joint Collector’s orders overruling the RDO were questionable and lacked firm legal justification.

The court emphasised that under the Tenancy Act, the RDO is the competent authority to determine and confirm tenancy rights.

Consequently, the High Court set aside the Joint Collector’s orders and upheld the RDO proceedings. It dismissed the claims made by the Diamond Hills Association and others that the land belonged to them by virtue of purchase.

The court issued a detailed 156-page judgment affirming that the disputed 36.7 acres rightfully belong to the protected tenants, thereby safeguarding their lawful tenancy rights.