HYDERABAD: The state govt on Friday ordered a forensic audit of land transactions under Dharani even as chief minister A Revanth Reddy accused the previous BRS govt of compromising the privacy of landowners by outsourcing the Dharani web portal to private agencies operating from foreign countries.
The CM raised concerns that illegal transactions could have taken place on the portal, with some land registrations occurring between 9 pm and 6 am. The CM explained how records could be altered remotely, such as changing land sizes or ownership, raising the need for a thorough investigation.
Revanth said that revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has ordered a forensic audit of land transactions from Oct 2020, when Dharani was launched, to Dec 2023. The CM said that the agencies managing the Dharani portal were based in tax-haven countries such as the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands, and the private agencies had access to sensitive landowner information, including bank accounts, Aadhaar numbers and mobile numbers.
Speaking on the Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights) Bill 2024 in the assembly, Revanth emphasised the necessity of the new legislation, observing that National Informatics Centre (NIC), a central govt agency, would now manage the portal.
He criticised the previous operators of Dharani for violating the agreement by running the portal from Andhra Pradesh, Gurgaon and the northeastern states, instead of within Telangana and the chief commissioner of land administration office in Hyderabad.
State to examine land transactions in Dharani, expose illegal activities: Min
Amid growing allegations of illegal land transactions in Dharani portal, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy announced that the govt would conduct a forensic audit of all land transactions carried out through the portal from Oct 2020 to Dec 2023. The minister said the Congress govt is committed to safeguarding the interests of farmers and citizens.
Speaking during the debate on the Telangana Bhu Bharati (RoR) Bill in the assembly on Friday, Srinivas Reddy recalled deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka’s earlier commitment to investigate all suspected illegal transactions in Dharani. He also said that, as promised during the assembly elections, the govt had rejected the Dharani system and introduced a new RoR Bill to address land-related issues for the people of the state.
“The govt will thoroughly examine the land transactions in Dharani portal and expose any illegal activities,” Srinivas Reddy said. “We are determined to reclaim land from those involved in irregularities and redistribute it to the poor,” he said.
BJP too demands probe
Earlier, BJP floor leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy demanded a comprehensive probe into the Dharani transactions, either by CBI, a special investigation team or a sitting judge. He questioned why the govt hesitated to initiate an inquiry when it had termed Dharani as the state’s biggest land scam.
Maheshwar Reddy also sought clarity on the timeline for resolving pending grievances related to Dharani, particularly the removal of patta lands from the prohibited list. “People have been waiting for over a year for the new Act to resolve their issues,” he said.
In response to BRS MLA T Harish Rao’s call to cancel the toll contract agreement for the Outer Ring Road, Srinivas Reddy said CM Revanth Reddy had announced a SIT inquiry as sought by Harish Rao. “Before canceling the toll tenders, an inquiry must be conducted. Once the SIT report is received, the govt will act based on its findings,” he added.
