Hyderabad: The Bhu Bharati land survey will provide a permanent solution to decades-old land disputes in Telangana, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said.
He said the government was resolving long-pending problems faced by farmers and landowners one by one. The State was also using the Bhu Bharati land survey to provide greater security over land ownership.
In Mahabubabad district, the government resolved an assigned land dispute in Narayanapur village of Kesamudram mandal. The dispute had remained unresolved for nearly 60 years.
Following the survey, 780 farmers received pattadar passbooks covering 1,378 acres. The documents included land Aadhaar details, according to the minister.
Ponguleti distributed the passbooks at a programme in Narayanapur. He said the exercise marked a significant step towards settling old land records through the Bhu Bharati system.
The minister said Telangana had conducted a land survey about 125 years ago. No comprehensive survey followed it, he claimed.
He also criticised successive governments in undivided Andhra Pradesh and the previous Telangana government for not taking up a comprehensive land survey.
The Revanth Reddy government, he said, had launched major reforms to settle land disputes permanently. It replaced the Dharani system with the Bhu Bharati Act, which the government positioned as a measure to support landowners.
Ponguleti said the government wanted to develop Telangana as a State free from land disputes.
Bhu Bharati land survey updates records
The government was surveying every inch of land and issuing pattadar passbooks with QR codes and maps, Ponguleti said. The Bhu Bharati land survey was helping link land records with updated documentation.
Four days earlier, the government distributed pattas covering 3,400 acres to farmers from 13 villages in Tungaturthi, he said.
The latest distribution in Narayanapur covered 1,378 acres belonging to 780 farmers. The minister said both exercises had become possible through Bhu Bharati.
He also promised to resolve another assigned land issue in Narayanapur. The dispute covers about 150 acres that farmers have cultivated since their grandparents’ time.
Ponguleti said the government would examine the matter and ensure justice for the affected farmers.
He also said welfare schemes were reaching remote areas across Telangana. Under the Indiramma housing programme, the government aimed to ensure benefits for every eligible person.
The minister said the government would seek votes in villages and wards where Indiramma houses had been provided during the next elections.
He also claimed that the government had distributed 25 lakh acres of land to poor people under the Indiramma administration.
Revenue officials face warning over negligence
Later, Ponguleti reviewed the Revenue and Housing departments in the erstwhile Warangal district at the Mahabubabad Collectorate. Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka joined the review meeting.
During the meeting, Ponguleti expressed strong dissatisfaction with the performance of some revenue officials. He warned officials against neglecting their duties.
The minister said the government would take strict action if officials caused hardship to the public. He directed them to work with responsibility, transparency and accountability.
At the same time, Ponguleti said the government would encourage officials who delivered good results. Officials who committed irregularities would face action, he said.
The minister instructed revenue authorities not to take decisions contrary to rules on Section 22-A prohibited land lists and other land-related matters.
He warned officials against issuing orders that violated regulations and brought disrepute to the government.
Ponguleti further directed officials to move beyond their offices and conduct at least one or two surprise field inspections every month.
During such visits, officials should meet residents directly and understand their problems. They should then take steps to resolve genuine grievances quickly.
The minister also expressed anger over reports that some tahsildars and MROs had signed attendance sheets citing deputation but failed to attend review meetings involving public representatives.
He directed revenue officials to ensure that government reforms reached people at the field level. He also stressed effective implementation of the Bhu Bharati system and related reforms.