22-A mess: apology first, inquiry pending

The Telangana government has admitted that its Section 22-A land records contain errors. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy apologised to affected property owners, saying outdated records and mismatches between departments had kept some cleared properties on the prohibited list.

The minister cited a 12-acre Rangareddy parcel where only two acres were classified as Bhoodan land, but all 12 acres appeared on the list. He also referred to discrepancies involving Town Survey Land Register and GHMC records, and problems affecting private properties in Hyderabad’s Alwyn and Asbestos colonies. The government has announced a high-level committee, weekly reviews, refunds where registrations failed and a toll-free number. The Bhu Bharati portal also provides a grievance route, including for applicants with court orders.

BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao has demanded a judicial inquiry into what he says are 22 irregularities, unconditional removal of wrongly listed properties and an apology to owners. The figure of 22 has not been independently documented in the material reviewed. His separate allegations of commissions and a parallel revenue network are also uncorroborated.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has proposed assigning sub-numbers to affected survey numbers while keeping court-disputed lands aside. No official record shows that this has been completed statewide. The government has apologised; the paperwork is still waiting for its sequel.