Governor Approves New Land Rights Act in Telangana
The Governor of Telangana, Jishnu Dev Varma, has approved the Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights) Act. This new legislation was recently passed by the State Legislature during the winter session of the Assembly.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy stated that the government will act quickly to implement the new law. He assured that the rules for the Act will be framed within two months following the Governor’s approval.
The new law replaces the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Act, 2020, which was introduced by the previous BRS government. The older Act caused significant issues for landowners and farmers, especially those cultivating assigned lands. It lacked mechanisms for addressing grievances or allowing appeals at the village level, which created widespread difficulties.
Recognizing these problems, the current Congress government formed a committee of experts. This committee recommended repealing the 2020 Act and drafting a more comprehensive law to benefit farmers. After consultations with stakeholders, the committee prepared a draft of the new Act. Notably, the draft was made public to gather feedback before finalizing it, making it a unique and transparent process.
Minister Srinivas Reddy explained that the new Act aims to provide long-term solutions to land-related problems. He urged officials to prioritize framing the rules and procedures needed for its implementation. The Minister also criticized the previous BRS government for failing to create rules for the 2020 Act, even after four years of its enactment.
The Minister highlighted the hardships faced by the common people and farmers under the previous law. He stated that nearly every village in the State had unresolved land issues due to the earlier government’s focus on “selfish interests” rather than public welfare. To address this, the current government is improving revenue administration and has plans to recruit officers for all 10,950 revenue villages in the State. This recruitment process is reportedly in its final stages.
Finally, Srinivas Reddy urged officials to align with the government’s vision and ensure that revenue services effectively reach people at the grassroots level.
