Telangana Bhu Bharati Bill-2024: Solving 18 Lakh Acres of Land Issues, Simplifying Dharani Modules, and More, Know Here Full Details
In a significant move aimed at protecting the land rights of common people, Telangana’s Minister for Revenue, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, introduced the much-anticipated Telangana Bhu Bharati Bill-2024 in the State Assembly on Wednesday.
Hyderabad: In a significant move aimed at protecting the land rights of common people, Telangana’s Minister for Revenue, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, introduced the much-anticipated Telangana Bhu Bharati Bill-2024 in the State Assembly on Wednesday. The bill, he noted, represents a comprehensive overhaul of the previous ROR Act of 2020, with the objective of reforming land governance and ensuring long-term security for landowners.
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During the bill’s introduction, Minister Srinivas Reddy expressed that this momentous occasion marks a milestone in his career, as it directly addresses the issues faced by landowners and common citizens in managing and safeguarding their land rights.
Key Features of the Telangana Bhu Bharati Bill-2024:
- Comprehensive Overhaul of Land Governance: The Bill addresses shortcomings in the previous ROR Act, 2020, after extensive consultations with citizens, experts, intellectuals, poets, retired officials, and public representatives. The new bill is expected to provide a robust framework for land management that caters to the needs of landowners and ensures transparency in land records.
- Commitment to Protect Land Rights: Minister Srinivas Reddy assured landowners that the Bhu Bharati Bill-2024 aims to remain in effect for at least a century, solidifying the State Government’s commitment to protecting land rights for future generations.
- Simplification of Land Records: One of the most significant changes is the reduction of complexity in managing land records. The Bhu Bharati Bill reduces the previous 33 modules in the Dharani system to just six, making land records management simpler and more accessible. The pahani (land record) details will also be expanded from a single-column format to 11 columns, restoring vital information that was omitted previously.
- Enhanced Revenue Records Management: The Bill also addresses the issue of errors in manual land records by improving both computerized and manual copies of revenue data. With a more streamlined and accurate record-keeping system, the Bill aims to significantly reduce discrepancies in land documentation.
- Permanent Land Dispute Solutions: The Bill introduces a mechanism known as the “enjoyment survey,” designed to prevent future land disputes. It will provide a more structured way to address issues related to land ownership, preventing reoccurrence of long-standing issues, including those related to rural and village settlements.
- Appeals Mechanism and Inheritance Rights: To further protect land rights, the Bill introduces a new authority that will handle appeals and resolve errors related to land mutations. Additionally, the Bill expands mutation powers to cover a broader range of land rights, including sale deeds, inheritance claims, and court orders, thus protecting inheritance rights and reducing legal disputes.
- Bhu Bharati Number for Land Parcels: The Bill introduces a unique “Bhu Bharati number” for all land parcels, akin to the Aadhaar number for individuals. This will ensure that every piece of land has a unique identifier, which will help in reducing fraud and land disputes.
- Creation of Land Tribunals: The Telangana Bhu Bharati Bill-2024 also proposes the creation of land tribunals to address grievances and disputes related to land issues. The government will determine the number of tribunals required based on the necessity of resolving ongoing land-related conflicts.
- Faster Implementation: To ensure timely resolution of issues, Minister Srinivas Reddy promised that the rules and regulations under the new Bill will be drafted within three months, avoiding delays seen under the previous government. Furthermore, the State government plans to organize revenue conferences at the village level to ensure quick resolution of land-related issues.
In summary, the Bhu Bharati Bill-2024 is seen as a landmark piece of legislation designed to overhaul the state’s land management system, protect the rights of landowners, and simplify the complex process of managing land records. The Bill aims to address long-standing land issues, streamline land record management, and provide a permanent solution to land disputes, ensuring that the interests of the people are safeguarded for the future.
The Telangana government’s commitment to land reform, as emphasized by Minister Srinivas Reddy, marks a new era in land governance, and the Bhu Bharati Bill-2024 is expected to play a critical role in shaping the state’s land management policies moving forward.