TS Legislative Council okays Revenue Bills

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday said the new Revenue Act seeks to protect 96 per cent of the lands in the State that had clear titles and observed that it would be unwise to put off the revolutionary land reforms brought in by the State government just on account of the four per cent of lands that were under litigation or had irregularities.

“Let us first protect the lands with clear titles from any irregularities in future. The remaining lands which have issues are minimal that can be tackled later,” the Chief Minister said, replying to the discussion on four Revenue Bills in the Legislative Council. The Bills were later passed unanimously by the



House.

Speaking at length about the new Revenue Act, the Chief Minister traced the evolution of the issue of land rights and transfer of titles during different regimes right from the rule of Mughals and how the Patel and Patwari system had been abolished.

Pointing out that the Village Revenue officers (VROs) system, which was abolished by his government prior to the introduction of the Bills, was brought in 2007, he said after formation of the State in 2014, land rates in Telangana had sky-rocketed across the State leading to clandestine operations and the emergence of land mafias.