VROs to be history, Telangana cabinet okays bills on revenue reforms

HYDERABAD: As expected, Telangana will henceforth not have the village revenue officers (VROs) serving in rural areas. The state cabinet under the leadership of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday gave the green signal for abolition of the VRO postings in the revenue department.
VROs have been under the weather in the last few months and the state government has been dropping enough hints to do away with them. The CM has been vocal against the alleged corrupt practices of VROs after a series of complaints against them and wanted to bring in radical reforms in the revenue department.
With the cabinet okaying the ‘Telangana Abolition of Posts of VROs’ Bill 2020,’ it will now be introduced in the assembly in next two days, sources said. Apart from this Bill, 10 other Bills, including one according administrative sanction for construction of a new secretariat, were also cleared by the cabinet.
According to the CMO, the cabinet also okayed the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Bill 2020. With several cases being reported of agriculture land tracts being converted for non-agriculture purposes such as residential and industrial, an amendment has been proposed to Panchayat Raj Act 2018. The land used for non-agricultural purposes is liable for payment of non-agriculture land assessment (NALA) tax and landowners have to pay NALA tax for converting agricultural land into non–agriculture land.
Similarly, amendments have been made in Telangana Municipalities Act 2019 and Telangana GST Act 2017.
As the government wants to introduce Bills in place of ordinances, the Telangana State Private Universities Act Amendments Ordinance 2020 (for approving five private universities), the Telangana Disaster and Public Health Emergency Ordinance 2020 (for paying 50% salaries to government employees) and the Telangana Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill 2020 have also been cleared by the cabinet.
The new building approval system (TS-bPASS) and enhancement of retirement age of professors in Ayush medical colleges were approved at Monday’s meeting. Revised estimations for construction of integrated office complexes and amendments to the Telangana Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act 1956 and the Telangana Civil Courts Act 1972 also got consent from the cabinet.
The approved Bills and amended Acts will be placed before the assembly for clearance, officials said.
17 more castes set to get BC tag in state
The state cabinet on Monday approved inclusion of 17 most backward classes in the BCs’ list. Most of the 17 castes belong to the nomadic tribes (castes) who have never availed reservation in the past.
The decision for inclusion has been taken after a survey was done earlier and recommended by the BC Commission. Officials said of the 17 castes, 13 would be incorporated in group ‘A’ and the rest four would be included in group ‘D’. With this, these castes will be eligible for quota in employment and education.