Telangana's prohibited properties list online, but no search tool to help landowners

The website of the Telangana Registration and Stamps Department now displays the list of properties prohibited from registration under Section 22A of the Registration Act. However, the absence of a proper search option, where landowners can enter their name, khata number, or other details to check if their property is listed, is creating new hurdles for genuine owners.

Section 22A empowers the government to prohibit registration of properties in certain cases, including those under dispute, owned by endowments or waqf boards, or involving court cases. While the intent is to prevent fraudulent transactions, many owners have expressed concern that their properties are being added to the list without their knowledge. They often learn about it only when they visit a sub-registrar office for a sale, gift, mortgage, or other transaction, only to be turned away.

Random checks on the department's website — registration.telangana.gov.in — show that data for several categories, such as court cases and properties under various sub-sections of 22A, is available. But information pertaining to endowment and waqf lands in certain mandals has not been uploaded yet. A note on the website says, “Prohibition data is under review. It will be published soon.”

The government has also set up a toll-free number for people to register complaints if their property is included in the prohibited list. According to officials, the call centres have received a few hundred calls over the past week. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has assured that the government is committed to protecting the rights of genuine landowners. However, he noted that resolving cases related to bhudan and other special categories of land may take time, as several matters are pending before courts at different stages.

For those trying to check if their property is on the list, the process requires selecting the ‘Prohibited property’ option on the department’s website. The user must then pick district, mandal, and village or town. The results are shown under two broad heads: Agriculture and Non-agriculture. The list includes properties under 22A(1)(a), 22A(1)(b), 22A(1)(c)-Waqf, 22A(1)(c)-Endowments, 22A(1)(d), 22A(1)(e), and Court cases & others.

Grievances related to properties listed under 22A(1)(a), (b), and (d) should be taken to the district Collector concerned. For those under 22A(1)(c), owners may approach the Waqf CEO or the Endowments Commissioner, depending on whether the property is waqf or endowment land. For matters under 22A(1)(e), a committee constituted for this purpose at the office of the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) handles the appeals.

The absence of a simple search facility makes the process cumbersome, especially for elderly or less tech-savvy landowners. Experts argue that a name-based or khata-based search would reduce confusion and help owners identify their properties quickly. Until such a facility is added, the department should consider publishing village-wise lists in local offices and panchayats so that affected persons are not left in the dark.

The government’s assurance that no genuine landowner will be harmed is reassuring, but officials must act on it by making the data more accessible and by resolving grievances promptly. Transparency in the prohibited properties register is essential to uphold constitutional rights to property and to maintain public trust in the registration system.