Re-survey of lands would resume from January 20, with a more systematic and organized approach than in the past

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Revenue, Registration, and Stamps, Anagani Sathya Prasad, has announced the removal of restrictions on lands under Section 22-A, aimed at benefiting the poor.

Speaking at a revenue conference, the minister stated that the government would soon lift the ban on lands falling under this section, addressing concerns raised by public representatives.

The minister directed district collectors to submit a report within three days, detailing the number of lands affected under Section 22-A in each district, and specifying the categories these lands fall under.

He explained that during the previous government, lands belonging to rightful owners had been wrongfully placed under Section 22-A, causing hardship to landowners. This move, he added, was done under illegal circumstances to seize land from its rightful owners.

Following the meeting, Minister Sathya Prasad addressed the media stating that the misuse of Section 22-A had become a major issue in the state. He accused the previous government of exploiting the provision to illegally include lands in the restriction list.

The minister disclosed that under the previous regime, approximately 4.5 lakh acres of land had been unlawfully exempted from the ban, with 7,000 acres of land being illegally registered.

In order to resolve this, he assured that the ban on lands under Section 22-A would be lifted in the coming weeks. He also announced that all such illegal land registrations would be cancelled, and stringent action would be taken against officials involved in the corruption.

The minister also highlighted the involvement of certain Mandal Revenue Officers (MROs) in forging land records, leading to fraudulent loans and bank scams. He vowed to take severe action against those responsible for these criminal activities.

Minister Sathya Prasad announced that revenue grievances would be resolved in the next 45 days, with all complaints addressed in revenue meetings starting from January 20. He also stated that the re-survey of lands would resume from January 20, with a more systematic and organized approach than in the past.

Unlike previous years, where the survey was haphazard, this time, each village will be treated as a unit for re-survey, with participation from both officials and elected representatives.

The minister added that only 20 acres of land would be surveyed by each team per day, ensuring that the process was transparent and error-free. He mentioned that over 180,000 grievances had been submitted during previous surveys, and all would be resolved, with new land pattas to be distributed to affected landowners after Sankranti, with the updated documents featuring a government seal and QR codes to ensure authenticity and prevent fraud.