Hyderabad: The Telangana government will begin a phased re-survey of land records across the state from next month, with the first phase covering 2,240 villages in 32 districts, Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy announced on Friday, June 19.
Addressing revenue officials through a teleconference, the minister said the exercise is aimed at creating a land dispute-free Telangana and ensuring clear land ownership records through the use of modern survey technologies.
70 villages in first phase
Telangana has a total of 10,954 revenue villages. In the first phase, 70 villages each from 32 districts, excluding Hyderabad, have been selected for the re-survey programme. The minister directed officials to complete all preparatory arrangements on a war footing, a press release said.
Stating that land is not merely an asset but a source of livelihood for farmers, Srinivasa Reddy said the government’s objective is to ensure clear boundaries for every parcel of land, assign a unique BhuDhar number to every survey number and provide certainty to landowners.
The minister said many parts of the state still rely on survey records dating back to the Nizam era of 1936. Over the decades, land subdivisions, urbanisation and changes in administrative boundaries have created ambiguities regarding land ownership and boundaries. The comprehensive re-survey is intended to provide a permanent solution to these issues.
378 villages do not have cadastral maps dating back to Nizam period
As part of the exercise, the government has identified 378 villages that do not have cadastral maps dating back to the Nizam period. Re-survey work has already been completed in five such villages, and BhuDhar numbers have been assigned. Survey operations are underway in the remaining villages using advanced technologies such as rover-based systems.
The minister said the government is replacing conventional survey methods involving chains, measuring tapes and cross staffs with modern technologies including DGPS, Rovers, GIS and QGIS. While 411 rover devices have already been procured, another 400 are expected to be purchased shortly.
Following completion of the re-survey, every land parcel will be assigned precise boundaries and a unique BhuDhar number. Similar to Aadhaar, a BhuDhar card will be issued as a unique identity document for land holdings. Survey data collected through DGPS technology will be integrated into the Bhu Bharati portal using QGIS software.
According to the minister, the number of survey numbers in the Telangana region has increased from about 40 lakh in 1948 to 2.29 crore at present, necessitating a comprehensive and technology-driven land records management system.
5,520 surveyors trained for survey
To implement the programme, the government has trained and licensed 5,520 surveyors, with four to six surveyors being deployed in each mandal depending on the extent of land area. Revenue villages have also been grouped into clusters with a dedicated monitoring mechanism.
Srinivasa Reddy said the re-survey would result in accurate land maps and clearly demarcated boundaries, reducing disputes over ownership.
He added that the exercise would also improve transparency and efficiency in land registration and mutation processes, particularly as survey maps have been made mandatory for agricultural land registrations under the Bhu Bharati Act.
