Govt eases eligibility criteria

Squatters on government lands will finally see their houses being regularised. The government has, in principle, agreed to relax the eligibility criteria for regularisation of houses on less than 80 sq yards of government land in the city and Ranga Reddy district.

Over 50,000 families are likely to benefit with the norms in GO 166 being relaxed. This GO was issued in 2007 by the Dr Y.S.Raja-sekhar Reddy government. Over 17,000 applications from Hyderabad and 33,000 from the neighbouring district were kept in abeyance as the applicants could not submit requisite documents.

The revenue minister, Mr Dharmana Prasada Rao, held a review meeting and it was decided that houses for those who have white ration cards from December 2006 onwards be regularised.