The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed fresh disruptions over the contentious Section 22A prohibited lands issue, with opposition legislators demanding a thorough discussion and a judicial probe into alleged irregularities.
Opposition members, primarily from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), raised strong objections, accusing the government of failing to fully resolve the problems faced by genuine private landowners whose properties were wrongly included in the prohibited list under Section 22A of the Registration Act. They reiterated their demand for a white paper on the issue and an independent judicial inquiry.
Background of the Controversy
Section 22A allows the state government to place certain categories of land — including government, forest, endowment, wakf and other public lands — on a prohibited list to prevent their registration and transfer. However, during land record updates, large numbers of private patta lands and residential properties were allegedly included erroneously, blocking sales, mortgages, bank loans and other transactions.
Affected property owners, particularly in and around Hyderabad (including Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy and other districts), have reported significant hardship. The opposition has claimed that lakhs of acres of genuine private land were impacted, while the government maintains that the bulk of the list comprises legitimate public and protected lands.
Government’s Response
The Congress government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has constituted a high-level official committee headed by the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration to examine the issues and recommend remedial measures. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has stated that a large percentage of complaints have already been resolved and that the government is committed to protecting the rights of genuine landowners while safeguarding public assets.
The Chief Minister earlier explained in the Assembly that successive governments’ failure to properly sub-divide lands contributed to the accumulation of entries under Section 22A, and that the present administration has been working to cleanse and correct the records.
Opposition Stance
BRS leaders have rejected the government’s explanations as inadequate. They have accused the ruling party of creating confusion and, in some cases, of alleged irregularities in the process of inclusion and deletion from the list. They continue to demand the immediate removal of genuine private properties from the prohibited category, publication of a detailed white paper, and a judicial probe by a sitting judge.
The issue has repeatedly disrupted Assembly proceedings in recent weeks, with opposition members staging protests both inside and outside the House.
As the controversy continues, thousands of affected families remain in limbo, awaiting clarity and relief on the status of their lands. The high-level committee’s recommendations and further government action will be closely watched in the coming days.