New survey to address land rows across TG on the anvil

Hyderabad: After introducing Bhu Bharati Act 2024, the Telangana government is mulling to launch the long pending comprehensive land survey to address the land disputes and also to issue fresh ‘Bhudhar’ cards. The Revenue department is still using the land records prepared during the Nizam rule in the state. Under the new Act, land survey is mandatory before the registration of lands a fresh.

Top Revenue officials said that the comprehensive land survey was under consideration after the government adopted Bhu Bharati Bill in the recently held winter session of the state Assembly. The Union government allocated funds to take up the land survey. However, the previous BRS government has put the survey in the cold storage for 10 years. On a pilot basis, the survey was conducted only in old Nizamabad district and 90 per cent of the survey has been completed long ago. As per the Revenue Act, the land records should be upgraded every 30 years by conducting the land survey.

“The available land revenue records were prepared between 1936-1942 during the Nizam rule in Telangana. In 1972, the then state government conducted the land survey in Hyderabad and in a few urban areas. The transfer of ownership of lands multiplied and the land records need to be upgraded by conducting survey to avoid land disputes and also stop the encroachment of the government lands and other prohibited lands listed in the Part-B”, said an official.

Official sources said that the government’s already announced Bhudhar cards will be distributed under the new Act to all land owners soon. For this, the land survey should be conducted to prevent disputes. The State Revenue department has already prepared an action plan for the conduct of comprehensive land survey which requires Rs 600 crore. The Union government would also extend financial assistance for the survey, officials said, adding that the revenue wing has already completed digitisation of the mapping of 10,000 revenue villages. The available digital data will help to conduct the land survey speedily, officials said, pointing out that the survey outcome would also address the ownership disputes of the prohibited lands.