BRS leader accuses Congress govt. of illegally listing Ramdaspally farmers' patta lands under Section 22A

Hyderabad: T. Harish Rao, Deputy Floor Leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the Telangana Assembly, has criticised the Congress government over the inclusion of 300 acres of farmers' patta lands in Ramdaspally village, Ibrahimpatnam mandal, in the prohibited list under Section 22A of the Registration Act.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Mr. Rao alleged that the Revanth Reddy-led government deliberately listed these lands to extract commissions from landowners. He claimed that even if farmers wanted to sell their land for family needs, they would be unable to do so because of the inclusion in the prohibited list. He further said that the prohibition also covers lands in three housing layouts and those allocated to bonded labourers.

The BRS leader said that farmers holding these patta lands are being denied benefits under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, crop loans from banks, and even supplies of urea. He noted that farmers had represented their grievances to Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, but no action was taken.

Mr. Rao pointed out that the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Ibrahimpatnam had, in a note report, clearly stated that the lands belonged to farmers. However, they have still not been removed from the Section 22A list. He questioned whether the intention behind including patta lands under Section 22A was to make a 30% commission for regularisation. He also asked how the Ramdaspally lands came under Section 22A when the Rangareddy District Collector had claimed that no fresh inclusions were made apart from those already listed in the past.

Section 22A of the Registration Act, 1908, empowers the government to prohibit registration of certain categories of properties, including those with disputed titles, government lands, or lands earmarked for public purposes. Inclusion of private patta lands under this provision typically restricts sale, mortgage, or transfer of such properties, which can severely impact farmers' access to credit and government schemes.

The allegations come amid an ongoing political tussle between the BRS and the Congress in Telangana over land-related issues. The state government has not yet issued a response to Mr. Rao's claims. This report will be updated if the government issues a clarification.

Farmers in Ramdaspally have been waiting for a resolution, as the listing under Section 22A has caused uncertainty over their property rights and livelihoods. The issue highlights the need for transparent administration of land records and timely redressal of grievances.