AP removes five categories of land from prohibited 22A list

In another key decision, the government has ordered the removal of lands belonging to former and serving defence personnel, as well as freedom fighters, from the prohibited list, provided valid supporting documents are available. 

As a New Year gift by offering significant relief to farmers and landowners, the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has removed five categories of land from the controversial Section 22A prohibited properties list, which had long hindered land registrations across the state. Revenue Minister Anagani Satyaprasad on Thursday signed the first official order in his department to give effect to the decision.

As per the Minister’s directives, private patta lands have been completely excluded from the 22A prohibited list. Officials have been instructed to take suo motu action to remove such lands from the list, irrespective of whether landowners submit applications. The move is expected to immediately ease registration-related hurdles faced by thousands of property owners.

In another key decision, the government has ordered the removal of lands belonging to former and serving defence personnel, as well as freedom fighters, from the prohibited list, provided valid supporting documents are available. The Minister clarified that the remaining categories of disputed lands would be examined shortly by a Group of Ministers (GoM), after which a final decision would be taken.

Addressing the media, Anagani Satyaprasad said protecting the rights of landowners was the government’s foremost responsibility. He stated that the coalition government was correcting serious mistakes committed by the previous administration, which had caused widespread hardship to farmers and genuine landholders. The Minister assured that a positive decision on freehold lands would be taken within two months, with implementation scheduled to begin from February.

He further announced that from January 2, officials would go door-to-door to distribute new land passbooks to farmers, as part of the government’s effort to streamline land records and improve transparency.

To curb land-related fraud and irregularities, the Revenue Department is in the process of linking Aadhaar with survey numbers, and a dedicated mobile application is being developed for this purpose. The Minister issued a stern warning that officials found guilty in land disputes or irregularities would face strict disciplinary action.

The latest policy decision is expected to benefit thousands of farmers and landowners across Andhra Pradesh, significantly simplifying land transactions and restoring confidence in the state’s land administration system.