HYDERABAD:The Telangana government announced on Friday that it will release a draft bill on comprehensive land administration for public review and feedback before presenting it to the Legislative Assembly. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy made this announcement during a discussion on "Telangana Land Rights & Reforms" in the Assembly.
The draft bill, titled the Telangana Record of Rights Bill, 2024, aims to consolidate and amend existing land rights laws in Telangana. Citizens are invited to submit their suggestions and recommendations via email to ror2024-rev@telangana.gov.in or by post to the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) by August 23.
During his remarks, the Revenue Minister criticized the previous BRS government for allegedly mortgaging Telangana lands to a foreign company by transferring control of the Dharani portal, Integrated Land Records Management System, to it. He described the Dharani portal as having become overly complex, likening its expansion to "Ravanasura with 30 heads."
The Minister also highlighted issues with the Dharani portal, claiming it was a “secret” system where even approving authorities couldn’t review their decisions post-approval. He noted that around 18 lakh acres of land belonging to marginalized sections were classified under Part B without proper rights.
Additionally, the minister expressed dissatisfaction with the previous government's decision to abolish the VRO and VRA system, which he argued complicated the revenue system.
In contrast, BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy defended the Dharani portal and the abolition of the VRO and VRA system, asserting that these reforms were intended to combat corruption and provide land titles to farmers.
AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi raised concerns about the alienation of public land, referring to a high court ruling that directed the recovery of 800 acres from IMG Bharat.
The state government also proposed the introduction of Bhudhaar cards, a unique identification system for land parcels. The draft bill suggests assigning both temporary and permanent Bhudhaar numbers to land, considering factors such as geographical location and ownership as recorded in the land records.