Government yet to resolve several land disputes

ADILABAD: While the State government continues to make tall claims that it has managed to resolve most issues faced by farmers with the launching of Dharani portal, a first of its kind in the country for storing digitised land records and registration of properties, sources told Express that about 3,500 applications pertaining to land disputes are still pending in the district.

However, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s recent announcement, that the Collectors of all districts have been directed to set up tribunals to resolve agricultural land-related cases in two months, has come as a relief for several farmers who have been running from pillar to post to get their pattas. These distressed ryots are now hopeful that they will start receiving long-pending benefits from ensuing Vanakalam  (Kharif) itself.It may be mentioned here that the TRS government, in a bid to resolve land disputes, had carried out a ‘purification process’ in the State back in 2017.

Aimed at controlling land-related crimes and corruption, the authorities collected details pertaining to all types of lands in the State, including those owned by both the government and private persons, and those falling under forest jurisdiction, during the 2017 survey. While dispute-free lands were listed under Part A of the survey, the disputed ones, including revenue court cases, were listed under Part B.

However, in spite of categorising the lands, the authorities concerned failed to take adequate measures to resolve all disputes, as a result of which scores of farmers are yet to start receiving benefits such as Rythu Bandhu, crop loans and Pradhan Mantri KIsan SAmman Nidhi Yojna(PM-KISAN), though three years have passed by after the ‘purification process’. According to sources, 3.71 lakh acres of the total 8.46 lakh acres in the district are being used for farming. Meanwhile, as per KCR’s directions, District Collector Sikta Patnaik recently organised a review meeting with tahsildars and directed them to submit all records pertaining to land disputes at her office. 

Ryots complain of not getting ECs
Several farmers have come forward complaining that they are unable to get the Encumbrance Certificate (EC) on the Dharani portal for their lands, even the ones that are dispute-free