Hyderabad, Feb 16
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday directed officials to complete by the end of March the accounting of enemy properties in Telangana, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Custodian of Enemy Property of India (CEPI).
He held a meeting with officials from the Central and Telangana governments on 'enemy properties' or the properties left behind in India by individuals who acquired Pakistani or Chinese citizenship.
The MoS asked officials to complete the accounting of 'enemy properties' after conducting a ground survey and verifying records. He also directed officials to take necessary steps to safeguard the enemy properties.
In November last year, Bandi Sanjay had asked officials to complete the enumeration and submit a report by the first week of January.
He stated that appropriate actions would be taken to address encroachments and other related issues after investigation of such properties located in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Vikarabad districts.
Enemy properties belong to individuals who migrated to Pakistan or China and acquired citizenship after events such as the 1962 Chinese aggression and the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971.
There are about 13,000 such properties in 21 states and two Union Territories, with a market value running into thousands of crores. All these properties were entrusted to CEPI.
Section 8 (A) of the Enemy Property Act grants the Central government authority to sell these properties. However, many of the properties have been encroached upon and or tied up in legal disputes.
There are about 234 enemy properties in Telangana including 180 in RR district, 44 properties in Hyderabad, seven in Kothagudem and three in Vikarabad.
During the earlier meeting, officials had reported widespread encroachment, including illegal constructions, particularly in prime areas like Miyapur and Kotwal Guda in Ranga Reddy district, and Chikkadpally, Musheerabad, and parts of Old City in Hyderabad.
- IANS