B kartheek By Express News Service HYDERABAD: IT was in 1998 that B Damodar Reddy, now 63, first requested the then village revenue officer to register his ancestral property in his own name. Over two decades later, Damodar Reddy and his son are still waiting on the revenue officials to include their names in their registry. This, despite the duo having secured a High Court ruling in their favour, nearly two years ago, and also filing a contempt of court case against the revenue department. “The revenue officials have been colluding with a real estate company and eyeing our land. They are deliberately delaying and are maybe expecting a bribe from us. Our lives have turned miserable,” Damodar Reddy told Express. Damodar Reddy further added that the disputed property is valued at approximately `20 to `30 crore. According to B Damodar Reddy, he and his son, Chandrakanth Reddy, own a 50 acre plot in Nerrepally village of Ibrahimpatnam mandal, that has been their ancestral property. However, the land is not registered in their names in the official revenue records. The father and s0on have been running from pillar to post for the last 21 years but the matter remains pending with the tahsildar’s office. They have filed petitions in almost all the concerned offices, including that of the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, Lokayukta and High Court.And while they were busy pleading with the authorities, a third party forged the tahsildar’s signature and created fake documents for 5.9 acre of their 50 acre plot and sold half of it a few years ago. “When they (revenue officials) were not even implementing the High Court’s orders, I filed a contempt case. They apologised to the court and promised to do what was necessary. But we are still waiting for legal possession of our own land,” said Damodar Reddy. When asked about the reasons behind not issuing the patta passbook and updating the revenue records, Venkateshwarlu, Ibrahimpatnam tahsildar, was reluctant to give an answer. “The court ordered to act in accordance with the law, and we are in the process,” he said.

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