No sensitive data for property registration: KCR to decide whether to appeal HC order

The Telangana government on Saturday will decide on filing an appeal in the Supreme Court against the state High Court’s order barring the collection of sensitive user data for registration of non-agricultural properties. The alternative is for the government to prepare guidelines following the High Court directions. 

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will hold a high-level review meeting to chalk out the strategy for registration of non-agriculture lands and properties in view of the orders given by the Telangana High Court. In the meantime, the state has put slot bookings on hold, reported the New Indian Express. 

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

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% advance slot booking. The court, however, had directed the government not to insist on Aadhaar number and other details for the Dharani portal. But, the state continued to insist on Aadhaar number for slot booking.

At Saturday’s meeting, the orders passed by the High Court will be discussed at length and a decision will be taken accordingly. The Chief Minister will discuss with Revenue Department officials and law officers whether to appeal against the High Court orders or prepare guidelines in accordance with the High Court directive.

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 either through the 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 about safety. 

The CM had constituted a four-member cabinet sub-committee to suggest ways to address various issues in the registration process and streamline the system. The registration of both agricultural and non-agricultural land was stopped on September 8 to facilitate the transition to the online process following enactment of the New Revenue Act.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and a 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.