TS to chalk out new strategy on registration of non-agricultural properties

Hyderabad: The Telangana government will decide on Saturday whether to file an appeal against the High Court order on registration of non-agricultural properties or prepare guidelines as per its direction.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will hold a high-level review meeting to chalk out strategy for registration of non-agriculture lands and properties registration in view of the orders given by the High Court on Thursday.

According to Chief Minister’s Office, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and senior official of the revenue department will participate in the review meeting. It also stated that the copy of High Court orders hasn’t reached the state government as yet.

The meeting will discuss at length on the orders passed by the High Court and take a decision accordingly. The chief minister would discuss with the revenue department officials and law officers whether to file an appeal against the High Court orders or prepare guidelines in accordance with the High Court directive.

The High Court had Thursday directed the government to stop forthwith collecting personal details of family members and Aadhaar card particulars even for slot booking to register non-agricultural properties.

A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy made it clear that the state government cannot adopt surreptitious means to collect such details of people either through Dharani portal or even through the old method of registration.

The court passed the interim orders on a batch of PILs filed on Dharani. The petitioners questioned the methods the government had adopted to collect personal data without assuring people on the safety aspects.

Registration of non-agricultural properties had resumed on December 16 after a gap of more than three months following the High Court orders permitting the commencement of registrations with 100 per cent advance slot booking.

The court, however, had directed the government not to insist on Aadhaar number and other details for Dharani portal.

The chief minister also constituted a four-member cabinet sub-committee to suggest ways to address various issues in registration process and streamline the system.

The registration of both agricultural and non-agricultural land was stopped in the first week of September to facilitate the transition to the online process following enactment of New Revenue Act.

The registration of agricultural lands had commenced in October Dharani portal. However, the registration of non-agricultural properties was delayed due to some technical issues and later petitions filed in the High Court.