Hyderabad: BRS deputy floor leader Harish Rao demanded Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s resignation over the 22A prohibited land issue.
Harish Rao made the demand at a protest in Malkajgiri on Tuesday. The programme sought immediate cancellation of the 22A prohibited land list.
He said the minister should take moral responsibility for the problems faced by property owners. Harish Rao also questioned whether an apology would resolve the difficulties caused by the prohibited list.
According to Harish Rao, authorities should remove properties from the list without forcing owners to submit fresh applications. He said affected people should not have to visit government offices repeatedly.
The BRS leader questioned who placed the properties on the prohibited list. He also asked who authorised those additions and whether officials could make such decisions without proper scrutiny.
Harish Rao accused the Congress government of creating fresh problems instead of resolving existing land disputes. He said overnight additions to the list had left property owners uncertain about their assets.
He cited the case of Ashok from Tilaknagar, who reportedly discovered the restriction when he visited a sub-registrar’s office. Harish Rao said Ashok wanted to sell his 450-square-yard house.
The BRS leader also referred to lands covered by JVOs in Rangareddy and properties in Medchal. He claimed some HMDA and HUDA lands had also entered the prohibited list.
Ponguleti resignation demand follows wider criticism
Harish Rao alleged that people faced demands for a share of land or development rights to remove properties from the prohibited list. He presented the claim as part of wider concerns over the functioning of the Revenue Department.
He also alleged that some files moved only after money changed hands. However, these allegations came from Harish Rao and were not independently established in the source.
The BRS leader further criticised the government over Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes. He alleged that the Congress government had reduced allocations compared with the previous BRS administration.
Harish Rao said ministers should accept responsibility for decisions taken by their departments. He criticised attempts to attribute government decisions entirely to officials.
He also criticised the arrest of licensed surveyors who were protesting at Survey Bhavan. According to Harish Rao, nearly 6,500 licensed surveyors had gone without payment for about a year.
He demanded their immediate release and called for talks to address their grievances. Harish Rao also accused the government of failing to provide adequate wages and a stable system for the surveyors.
Meanwhile, Harish Rao claimed the toll-free number created for 22A complaints was not functioning. He demanded that the government publish complete details of prohibited properties and issue a white paper.
The BRS leader said his party would continue supporting affected property owners. He also warned that his party would pursue legal action against officials responsible for wrongdoing if it returned to power.
Harish Rao said the doors of Telangana Bhavan would remain open to people facing land-related problems. He assured affected residents that the BRS would support their efforts to resolve the issue.
MLC Dasoju Sravan, MLAs Kaleru Venkatesh and Bandari Lakshma Reddy, and several former corporators and party leaders attended the Malkajgiri programme.