BRS Trains Guns on Ponguleti

BRS Deputy Leader in Telangana Legislative Assembly, T. Harish Rao has demanded removal of Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy over alleged extortion and arbitrary freezing of private properties under Section 22A in Telangana, while stating that these allegations require independent verification.

In a letter to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Harish Rao also sought an independent judicial and anti-corruption investigation.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader drew the attention of the top Congress leader to the alleged misuse of the Revenue and Registration machinery and the arbitrary inclusion or private properties under Section 22A of the Registration Act, 1908.

The allegations concern the functioning of the Revenue Department under Srinivas Reddy and raise serious questions about the failure of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to exercise effective oversight, wrote the former minister.

Harish Rao mentioned that Section 22A is intended to prohibit registration of legally prohibited properties. It cannot be used to create artificial title disputes, freeze bona fide private properties or paralyse legitimate transactions of citizens.

“During revenue-record updates and the transition to Bhu Bharati, thousands of private properties, HMDA/GHMC-approved layouts and private patta lands with long-standing titles have reportedly been classified as government or ceiling-surplus land or otherwise brought under the prohibited-properties regime,” alleged the BRS leader in the letter.

He stated that the reported impact in Hyderabad, Medchal Malkajgiri, Ranga Reddy and Sangareddy including established areas such as Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills and Nizampet is particularly concerning. There are allegations that properties regularised decades ago under the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) framework are being re-tagged or subjected to fresh claims, creating an artificial cloud over settled titles and severely affecting their marketability.

Harish Rao also alleged in the letter that Section 22A restrictions were being used for illegal collections, with genuine property owners allegedly forced to approach intermediaries for de-notification or registration clearance and demands allegedly reaching up to 30 per cent of market value.

Stating that these allegations require independent verification, the BRS leader called for finding answers to questions like who is responsible for adding and removing properties, who benefits from such additions and subsequent de-notifications, what is the complete administrative chain of responsibility, are intermediaries facilitating these transactions and are politically connected persons or private syndicates involved.

“These questions cannot be answered by press statements or routine review meetings. If the allegations are false, an independent enquiry will establish that; if true, those responsible must face the law,” reads the letter.