Telangana property owners cry murder as govt classifies their land as 'prohibited'

Thousands of property owners in Telangana are crying foul over Section 22A of the Registration Act, alleging that it has made it impossible for them to sell their properties.

According to available information, nearly 90 lakh acres across Telangana have been brought under the prohibited list of Section 22A by the Revenue Department. The move has come as a major shock to owners who had purchased plots and lands with all statutory approvals and subsequently developed them. The prohibited list under Section 22A includes categories of land restricted from sale or registration due to public policy reasons.

Owners taken by surprise

Surprisingly, even plots purchased around 25 years ago through Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Housing Board have reportedly been included in the Revenue Department's prohibited list.

Also read: Telangana’s 'Future City': New economic growth engine or real-estate dream?

With these lands and buildings now falling under Section 22A, registration authorities are refusing to register transactions involving them.

Thousands of owners, who had already finalised property deals and exchanged payments, were reportedly taken by surprise when they learnt at the time of registration that their properties had been classified as prohibited. The issue has become especially contentious in Sangareddy, Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts.

Disputes rise post Dharani portal launch

Allegations have surfaced that such disputes have increased significantly since the launch of the Dharani portal by the BRS government in 2019. Critics claim that Revenue Department officials have been implementing government orders without adequate scrutiny, resulting in private properties getting included in the prohibited list.

Under the law, registration authorities are expected to prevent the transfer of only Waqf, Endowments, Inam and assigned lands into private ownership. However, the Revenue Department is alleged to have indiscriminately included even privately-owned properties and lands involved in court disputes in the prohibited list, further aggravating the problem.

Also read: How one move by Telangana govt has left state's rich textile belt sinking

According to reports, several properties in prime localities of Hyderabad, including Banjara Hills, Kukatpally, Nizampet, Miyapur, Bachupally, Dilsukhnagar, Kondapur and Ameerpet, have been brought under the Section 22A prohibited list.

What property owners allege

Property owners have accused the Revenue Department of failing to remove eligible properties from the list despite repeated requests. They allege that officials have ignored multiple applications seeking deletion of such properties. Demands are mounting for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the State Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy to intervene immediately and resolve the issue.

Speaking to The Federal Telangana on the matter, retired chief commissioner of land administration and former secretary A Ravindra Babu said, "The Revenue Department itself is responsible for the controversy surrounding the Section 22A prohibited list."

“The mechanical implementation of government orders by Revenue Department officials has resulted in private properties and even properties involved in court disputes being included in the prohibited list," he said.

Also read: Why land disputes continue to plague Andhra Pradesh despite promises of reform

He added that "a high-level committee of the Revenue Department is required to meet once every 15 days to examine applications relating to disputes over the prohibited list."

"However, the committee has not been meeting, and that is precisely why these disputes continue to grow," he said.

‘CM, FM should intervene’

"According to the information available to me, nearly 90 lakh acres across Telangana have been included in the Section 22A prohibited list," he added.

He urged Chief Minister Reddy, Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and senior Revenue Department officials to intervene without further delay and take concrete steps to resolve the problems faced by the public.

Also read: Is Revanth’s delimitation formula for fair South representation reasonable?

"If the government does not address the issue immediately, public resentment is certain to intensify," he warned. "There is no doubt that the problem has escalated ever since the Dharani portal was introduced," he said.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)