Dharani Audit prompts review of Records

The forensic audit of Dharani identified significant security vulnerabilities within the portal's technical architecture

metro india news  I hyderabad

Telangana's digital land governance system has once again come under intense scrutiny as the state government investigates alleged security vulnerabilities and irregularities in its land record portals. Once introduced as a landmark reform to simplify land registration and ownership management, the Dharani portal is now facing allegations of technical flaws and unauthorized alterations to land records. Following a forensic audit that reportedly uncovered security weaknesses, the government has expanded its focus to examine the newly introduced Bhu Bharati portal, which was built on Dharani's technological framework. A high level committee has been constituted and directed to submit its findings within 15 days, raising important questions about the integrity of Telangana's digital land records.

The previous BRS government launched the Dharani portal on October 29, 2020, with the objective of fully digitizing land registration, mutation, ownership records, and pattadar passbooks through a single online platform. The system promised greater transparency, reduced human intervention, faster services, and automatic mutation immediately after registration.

However, soon after its rollout, the portal became the subject of widespread complaints. Farmers and landowners reported errors in land records, delays in inheritance mutations, changes in survey numbers, missing ownership details, and limited opportunities to rectify mistakes. The Congress, while in opposition, consistently criticized Dharani for lacking transparency, an effective appeal mechanism, and adequate safeguards for correcting land record errors. It also alleged that more than 20 lakh acres had been wrongly placed under the prohibited list.

After assuming power in 2023, the Congress government initiated a comprehensive review of Dharani, ordered investigations into complaints and technical shortcomings, and replaced it with the Bhu Bharati portal. The new system introduced provisions for record corrections, appeals, and greater village level verification.

Forensic Audit raises new concerns

According to government officials, the forensic audit of Dharani identified significant security vulnerabilities within the portal's technical architecture. Preliminary findings indicate that unauthorized users may have exploited these weaknesses to access certain modules and alter land records beyond their authorized limits. Authorities are now investigating when these changes occurred, the extent of affected records, and those responsible.

Since Bhu Bharati was developed using Dharani's underlying technological framework, the government has ordered a parallel examination to determine whether similar vulnerabilities continue to exist.

Special committee and future reforms

To conduct a comprehensive investigation, the government has constituted a special committee comprising district collectors, IT officials, Cyber Security Bureau representatives, CID officers, Registration and Stamps Department officials, and experts from the National Informatics Centre. The committee has been tasked with examining the reported irregularities, identifying those responsible, recommending legal and departmental action, and proposing technological and administrative reforms within 15 days.

Meanwhile, the government is also planning an entirely new system architecture featuring advanced cybersecurity measures, detailed audit trails, strict user access controls, encryption, and real time monitoring to safeguard digital land records. The committee's findings are expected to shape future reforms and could have significant administrative and political implications as the controversy over Dharani and Bhu Bharati continues to unfold.