Dr Reddy’s stuck on assigned land

By Swati Reddy

Offers Market Price For The Same Land Taken Over By Govt

With the Ranga Reddy district administration resuming 10.24 acres of land from Dr Reddy’s Laboratories at Bachupally as it is an assigned land, the company is now seeking to buy the same piece of land at market rate. The request, however, has been kept pending by the state government.

Dr Reddy’s had purchased the land in survey no 44 of Bachupally village in Qutubullapur mandal from assignees a few years ago. After the district administration found out that it was assigned land, proceedings to resume the land were initiated in 2005. Dr Reddy’s challenged it in court but after the matter went up to the High Court, eventually the district administration resumed it as per rules.

However, the company management has urged the state government to alienate the same land at prevailing market rate — Rs 66 lakh per acre.

The pharmaceutical company had set up its biotech park’s manufacturing facilities at survey nos 41 to 47, 53 and 83 covering about 140 acres at Bachupally a decade ago. The 10.24 acres assigned land in survey no 44 is in the middle of its facilities.

Three months ago, managing director of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Satish Reddy wrote to the Ranga Reddy district collector seeking alienation of the same land as the firm does not want any further fight with the state government over the issue. This after initially the company had challenged the decision before the revenue divisional officer of Chevella division. An appeal was also made to the joint collector of Ranga Reddy district and later the fight was taken to the high court.

“The land can be alienated in public interest. By exporting its products to the US and other European countries and earning about Rs 100 crore worth of foreign exchange every year, the company is acting in public interest. A positive decision also directly helps 350 people working in the unit,’’ Satish Reddy said in his letter.

The revenue department, however, has not taken any decision on the plea.

The land was originally ‘patta’ land which was declared as ‘ceiling surplus land’ after one Pannamaneni Rama Krishna Prasad had handed over 51.76 acres to the state government in 1977. It was described as ‘Khariz Khata’ and mentioned in revenue records through ‘Failsal patti’ of the year 1980-81 and pahani for the same year.

Later the land was assigned to 11 landless poor families including one Chakali Sathemma and 10 others. The assignees names were also mentioned in revenue records as ‘Laoni pattedars’ in 1991-92 through ‘Faisal patti’ of the same year.

When contacted, joint collector of RR district M Jagan Mohan said a report was sent to principal secretary of revenue department to take a decision on the request of Satish Reddy.