Congress adding private properties to 22-A prohibited land list without verification: Harish Rao
Hyderabad: Former minister T. Harish Rao on Friday accused the Congress government of adding private properties to the 22-A prohibited land list without proper verification.
Harish Rao, the BRS legislature party deputy floor leader, said the issue had caused distress to lakhs of people across Telangana. According to him, authorities had placed private houses and agricultural lands on the prohibited list.
During a PowerPoint presentation at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS leader raised the alleged “22-A prohibited lands scam.” Moreover, he claimed people in every district had suffered because of restrictions on their properties.
People everywhere were discussing the 22-A problem, Harish Rao said. He claimed families could not sell properties, arrange marriages or finance their children’s education. He also said sons-in-law had refused to accept lands given as dowry because of the restrictions.
22-A prohibited land list causing hardship: Harish Rao
Section 22-A originally sought to safeguard specific categories of land, Harish Rao said. The provision covered government, assigned, endowment, Waqf and other protected lands.
According to him, the provision aimed to protect government and public lands. However, he alleged that authorities were now placing properties belonging to ordinary people on the prohibited list.
Meanwhile, the BRS leader accused the Congress government of attempting to shift responsibility to the previous BRS administration. He claimed the problem had emerged only after the Congress assumed power.
“During the KCR government, people were at the centre of governance. Under Revanth Reddy, land has become the centre of governance. Every decision seems to revolve around land,” he said.
Thousands of families had seen their property values fall to almost zero overnight, Harish Rao alleged. Furthermore, he said land carried different economic and social importance for different sections of society.
For farmers, land provided a livelihood, while poor families treated it as their lifetime savings, he said. Middle-class families, meanwhile, viewed property as security for their children’s future.
In addition, families depended on property to meet major financial needs. Harish Rao said parents relied on such assets for marriages, education and medical emergencies.
Harish Rao demands review of 22-A prohibited land list
A father could save property for his daughter’s marriage, while parents could rely on it for their children’s education, Harish Rao said. During a medical emergency, he added, property could serve as a family’s last source of financial support.
The BRS leader said uncertainty surrounding such properties had caused serious hardship to affected families. In particular, he blamed the government’s handling of the prohibited lands system for creating uncertainty.
“The government must protect the life and property of people. It cannot itself become a threat to their property,” Harish Rao said. Furthermore, he alleged that authorities had placed large tracts of land and numerous private properties on the 22-A prohibited land list without verification.
As a result, Harish Rao demanded an immediate review of such entries. He asked the government to identify every wrongly included private property and remove it from the prohibited list.