Systemic irregularities in Dharani portal: Telangana govt orders code audit, statewide forensic probe

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Wednesday said that alleged irregularities in the Dharani land records portal were not mere technical glitches but the result of systemic flaws embedded within the system.

Revenue, Housing and Information & Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announced a comprehensive code audit and statewide forensic investigation following a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat.

The Minister stated that the probe into alleged diversion of stamp duty and registration charges has brought to light several disturbing findings, indicating structured manipulation rather than accidental errors.

Addressing officials after chairing the review, the Minister said the inquiry revealed that crucial information related to land transactions conducted in violation of rules was allegedly suppressed.

He noted that although a forensic audit had been carried out earlier, a detailed code audit of the Dharani portal was not undertaken. “This is not a routine technical issue. The flaws appear to have been created within the system,” he said, directing officials to immediately conduct a comprehensive code audit to identify vulnerabilities and fix accountability.

Preliminary findings have also indicated that sensitive login credentials, which should have remained confidential, were either missing or compromised.

Revenue diversion under lens

According to the government, loopholes in the portal were allegedly exploited to siphon off stamp duty and registration charges payable to the State exchequer. Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the Minister asserted that strict action would be taken against those responsible.

“No one will be spared, irrespective of their position. Every rupee due to the government will be recovered,” he said, adding that there would be zero tolerance for irregularities affecting public revenue and citizens’ land rights.

Statewide forensic audit planned

The government has decided to expand forensic audits across all districts, on the lines of the exercises already conducted in Sircilla and Siddipet. The objective is to uncover all instances of misuse under the Dharani system and ensure transparency in land administration.

Officials have been instructed to examine every suspicious transaction and identify the extent of revenue loss, if any.

Outsourced management under scrutiny

During the meeting, concerns were also raised over the decision to entrust portal maintenance to a foreign firm, Terrasis. The Minister observed that outsourcing management may have contributed to technical and administrative complications. The role of the agency will also be examined as part of the broader investigation.

‘Bhu Bharati’ to replace Dharani

In a reform-oriented move, the government is developing a new land administration platform titled ‘Bhoo Bharati’, aimed at eliminating loopholes and reducing unnecessary official intervention. The proposed system is expected to be more transparent, secure, and citizen-friendly.

The government reiterated that safeguarding land records and protecting property rights remain top priorities under the current administration.

Officials present

The high-level meeting was attended by Revenue Secretary Lokesh Kumar, CMRF OSD Manda Makarand, Stamps & Registrations IG Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanth, DIG Subhash, SB SP Sindhu Sharma, Cyber Crime DSP A. Sampath, Home Department Advisor P. Sharath Kumar, and other senior officials.

With the code audit and statewide forensic probe now underway, the government has signaled a major clean-up of the State’s digital land records system.