22A list row: open the files
BRS wants a sitting-judge probe, a white paper and the full Section 22A prohibited-lands list online. The Congress government has waved away questions; the records it actually owes the public are still not on the table.
The complete Section 22A prohibited-lands list remains out of public view.
The BRS has demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge into Telangana’s Section 22A prohibited-lands list, a white paper, publication of the complete list and the removal of website restrictions — and says it will force the issue in the Assembly from 7 September. These are T Harish Rao’s demands at a meeting with families who say their properties were flagged under 22A in Shapur Nagar on 25 August, as reported. According to that report, he said the BRS would disrupt proceedings if needed.
Set aside the slogans and look at the record. Telangana’s own portals confirm there is an official 22A search and a grievance process tied to the Registration Department’s database. The Telangana High Court has also directed authorities to upload the prohibited lists and, for entries under Section 22A(1)(e), to publish the underlying notification or gazette — and told affected owners they may seek deletion or modification through the prescribed route. That is the floor the law sets, not a favour.
What is missing from the Congress government is the sunlight: the full, downloadable list, how many properties were added, corrected or removed, and the basis for each category. A political counter from Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy last week attacked the BRS but did not answer those specifics. If the BJP-led Centre can demand transparency from states when it suits it, the Congress government in Telangana can start by uploading the documents the High Court already asked for. The joke writes itself when owners have to guess what the state has put on its own list.