Goons, govt gobbling up HMT lands

Hyderabad: Are private persons and the State government competing in encroaching upon the HMT lands in gross violation of laws?

If the goings-on any indication, a complaint was lodged with the Union Minister for Heavy Industries alleging that the private persons with the support of the local politicians from the ruling party are encroaching on the valuable HMT lands.

That apart, the State government itself is competing with the land sharks to illegally encroach on the HMT lands.

The management is helpless in preventing the encroachment of precious lands worth about Rs 30 crore per acre. The repeated request of the management to the State government for the protection of the land has been falling on deaf years.

As of now, about 20 acres of HMT land has been illegally occupied by local goons and it is continuing, the complaints pointed out. The complaint pointed out that the State government woke up after 60 years and claimed that the HMT has excess land and occupied 120 acres. But it never been pointed out during its correspondence with the HMT for the allocation of five acres of its land for the construction of a Municipal office and one acre each for the Jeedimetla police station and electrical substation.

HMT had allocated the same obliging the request of the State government. However, without adhering to the proper procedure for the resumption of the excess land and not taking responsibility for the protection of the land it has occupied 120 acres. Speaking to The Hans India, former state vice president of BJP, Dr S Malla Reddy, said, "the TRS government seems to think that the PSUs are enemies."

HMT, Hyderabad unit was established in a sprawling 880 acres of land at Quthbullapur in Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana, for which, the foundation stone was laid in 1964 and inaugurated in 1967. About 5,000 employees were working in 3 divisions of machine tools, bulbs and tractors. However, at present machine tools division is only functioning with about 300 workers, and the others have become sick units long back.

Over time, once a vibrant campus of HMT lost its shine due to so many reasons. Now all the buildings are in dilapidated condition.

Dr Reddy said that in the wake of the illegal occupation of the lands, it was represented to the Union Heavy Industries Minister Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, to first, protect the land and allocate for public utilities such as hospitals, educational institutions, bus stations, stadiums, playgrounds, parks and the like. The buildings can be utilised for HMT's own purpose or by leasing out to IT companies or educational Institutions.