HYDERABAD: The long-pending dispute between the Telangana government and the State Bank of India (SBI) over the five-acre Raidurg land parcel is likely to be resolved this week, with both sides moving closer to a negotiated settlement ahead of the hearing of the case in the High Court, expected in the third week of July.
The state government has made it clear that the land, originally allotted to the erstwhile State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) and later auctioned by the government, would not be returned under any circumstances. Instead, it has offered SBI an alternative package comprising 2.5 acres within the GHMC limits and seven acres in Future City.
Sources said SBI has agreed to accept the 2.5-acre plot but, after deliberations at its board meeting, sought 10 acres in Future City instead of the seven proposed by the government.
Official sources said, the government had agreed in principle to allot 10 acres in Future City but proposed that seven acres be treated as alternative land for the disputed Raidurg property while the remaining three acres be purchased by SBI at the prevailing market price.
SBI, however, has reportedly sought that the entire 10 acres be allotted as alternative land. With negotiations at an advanced stage, the government is keen to conclude the issue before the High Court hearing and has urged SBI to withdraw its petition challenging the Raidurg land auction.
A breakthrough came during a high-level meeting at the Secretariat on June 27, when the state government and SBI agreed in principle to resolve the issue through alternative land allotment.
The meeting followed earlier discussions on June 22, after which an SBI team inspected the proposed sites on June 23 and conveyed its acceptance of the alternatives, subject to approval by the bank’s board and compliance with court procedures.
The dispute dates back to August 6, 2010, when the then AP government allotted five acres in Survey No. 83/1 at Raidurg to SBH for `13.30 crore for construction of an office complex.
Possession was handed over in January 2011, but construction never commenced. After issuing repeated notices over non-utilisation of the land, the then APIIC, now TGIIC, cancelled the allotment on January 22, 2021, and resumed possession on February 1.
Following the merger of SBH with SBI, the bank challenged the cancellation in the High Court. During the litigation, the government offered alternative sites at Osmannagar and Gandipet, maintaining that SBI had failed to utilise the land despite repeated opportunities and that allotment of alternative land remained the only practical solution to end the prolonged dispute.
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