Hyderabad's Nara Jail-SITE land dispute remains unsettled despite ‘agreement’ on papers

The dispute over land at Hyderabad's Nara Jail has been unresolved despite a claimed "agreement" on paper. The 87-07 acre site, which has been a point of contention for nearly two decades, remains a contentious issue between the jail administration and the Hyderabad SITE management. Despite efforts to reach a settlement, the jail administration has shown reluctance to concede any portion of its land.

The matter is currently pending the decision of Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, who has requested a review of the relevant report and consultations with both sides. The SITE management, however, contends that the land dispute is a "closed transaction" based on the 12-year-old memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two entities, and the past demarcations they have conducted.

The jail administration maintains that the functioning industries and industrial plots within the land are part of the prison's property. The district administration, after a year-long effort, achieved significant progress by conducting a joint land demarcation, which was completed on October 14, 2025. Despite this, the jail administration has refused to acknowledge the MoU and demarcation plan.

The SITE management has produced the MoU, which states that Survey No. 46 and Survey No. 168, covering a total of 9.33 acres, belong to them but are currently under physical possession of the Nara Jail. The district administration's report recommends a meeting to be convened under the chairmanship of a senior member of the Board of Revenue, involving key stakeholders, to approve a mutually accepted boundary and possession plan that would ensure the legal utilization of the government land.