Telangana: CM Revanth orders probe into Dharani portal, disposal of 2.45 lakh applications

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed the officials to resolve the pending applications in the Dharani portal immediately and make necessary arrangements in all mandal tahsildar offices to dispose of the applications in the first week of March. The chief minister also ordered a probe into the agency running the Dharani portal.

In a review meeting held with the officials at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat here, the chief minister asked the revenue department officials to formulate terms and conditions for the disposal of pending applications by taking into consideration the suggestions made by the Dharani Committee.

CM updated with flaws in ROR Act

Over 2.45 lakh applications are pending in the Dharani portal across the state, the officials informed the chief minister. Revanth Reddy discussed with the officials the possibility of addressing the pending applications in the first phase. The Dharani Committee submitted a report to the chief minister in the meeting. The report mentioned flaws in the ROR Act (The Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act) which came into force in 2020.

The committee explained to the chief minister that the ‘comprehensive land survey’ was conducted in haste in just three months and this has created a lot of problems. The same survey records have been taken as a parameter and hence the land record disputes increased in the state. As a result, lakhs of land ownership problems have come to light. Due to this, only the district collector can rectify small typographical errors in the names.

Lakhs of applications rejected

The committee brought to the notice of Revanth Reddy that the revenue department has allowed correcting the mistakes in Dharani data through about 35 modules, but the farmers are facing difficulties due to the lack of understanding. The committee also said that lakhs of applications have already been rejected and it has become a burden for the farmers to pay a fee of Rs 1,000 to correct each mistake/error. The sale of lands in the prohibited list is also taking place due to a lack of coordination between the Registration and Stamps and Revenue departments.

The meeting also discussed the misuse of crores of public money as the state agriculture department took Dharani data as a standard and deposited Rythu Bandhu benefit in the accounts. The committee members recommended to the chief minister the only option before the government is either to amend the law or enact a new ROR Act to correct the errors in the Dharani portal.

Clean up land records

The chief minister emphasised studying the problems in depth and cleaning up the land records without any land disputes or new complications. He cautioned the committee members to check the existing errors in the decisions taken by the government on the land records and avoid new problems. A permanent solution would be taken based on the final report of the committee, he said and added that till then, the committee should focus on the problems that need to be solved immediately.

The chief minister ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the agency running the Dharani portal. The CM questioned handing over the maintenance of the Dharani portal to a private agency in the place of CCLA (Chief Commissioner of Land Administration) which is supposed to handle the portal on behalf of the state government. He expressed serious concern on the safety of the land records of lakhs of farmers which are in the hands of foreign companies.

Role of private agency

Revanth Reddy blamed the agency for keeping highly confidential land data, Aadhaar and bank account details with the agency and also raised doubts about whether the data of land records is safe. The officials informed the chief minister that the previous state government entrusted the works of design, development and management of the Dharani portal to a company called IL&FS based on technical and financial bidding and qualifications in 2018.

Later, Revanth Reddy and Dharani committee members held a detailed discussion on the agency’s activities which went bankrupt later and changed its name to Terrasys Technologies Limited, changed all company directors and then sold the shares to Falcon Investment Company. The chief minister inquired how the previous government permitted the agency which won the bid to change its name as per their wish and also changed the companies.

The chief minister also inquired with the officials whether there are any rules for handing over the data of land records to anyone, even to foreign companies.

“It was astonishing that the company, which had won the Dharani tender for Rs 116 crores in 2018, sold its shares for around Rs 1,200 crores,” he said and expressed his doubts on the change of the names of the ownership of costly lands as the agency possessed all land records.

Revanth Reddy inquired the revenue officials about the complaints received that land registrations were done even in the midnights in some cases. He questioned whether there was no control and management of the Dharani portal by the government.