PONNAVOLU SASIDAR Vs. SUB REGISTRAR HAYATNAGAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The action of the Sub- Registrar, Hayatnagar, Rangareddy District the 1st respondent in not registering the sale-deeds dated 1-8-1991 executed in favour of the petitioners by the General Power of Attorney holders of the owners of the land and in keeping the registrations pending on the ground that the documents do not bear sufficient stamp duty, is being challenged in this batch of writ petitions.

(2.) The subject-matter of conveyance in the sale-deeds in these writ petitions is parcels of vacant land ranging between two and half acres and three acres situate in Survey Nos. 8 and 9 of Mansoorabad village, Saroornagar Mandal of Rangareddy District. In the documents the land sought to be transferred is described as agricultural land. The sale price mentioned in the document is Rs.65,000/- per acre. According to the petitioners, when the sale-deeds were presented for registration on 1-8-1991, the 1st respondent refused to register the same and informed the petitioners that as per the extant instructions, the sale-deeds can be registered only if the property is valued as house sites at Rs. 120/- per square yard. The documents were treated as pending documents. The petitioners have, therefore filed the writ petitions.

(3.) It is the case of the petitioners that in the revenue records, the land in question is classified as dry lands and dry crops and fodder grass are being grown on the lands. The petitioners say that there are two wells irrigating the lands. According to the petitioners, lands are quite far away from the village and there are no residential houses in and around S. Nos. 8 and 9. It is stated that the land has been reserved for 'conservation use' by the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority.