22(A) land list: Private owners caught in Telangana’s prohibited-land maze

The 22(A) prohibited land list has become a major concern for Telangana property owners, with BRS leader T Harish Rao alleging irregularities in the inclusion and removal of survey numbers. Several cases involving government and private land were highlighted at Telangana Bhavan

Hyderabad: The 22(A) prohibited land list has become a nightmare for property owners in Telangana, with private properties being entered into it overnight. Instead of being a mechanism meant to protect government and other protected lands, the law is allegedly being misused to facilitate private interests.

What is the 22(A) list?

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Under Section 22(A) of the Registration Act, 1908, the government can prohibit the registration of specified categories of land. Once a survey number is included in the prohibited list, its sale, purchase or mortgage cannot ordinarily be registered.

The provision covers government and poramboke lands, assigned lands given to the poor, temple and endowment properties, Wakf lands and ceiling-surplus lands. Its primary objective is to prevent such properties from being alienated or falling into the hands of encroachers.

While the prohibited list contained a limited number of lands in Telangana over the last several decades, several private properties made their way into it after the Congress came to power. The extent of prohibited land in revenue records shot up from around 24 lakh acres to 1.16 crore acres after the Congress government launched the Bhu Bharati portal for land registrations. The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration issued orders to all District Collectors in December last year to furnish the list of prohibited lands, which was then incorporated into the Bhu Bharati portal.

BRSLP deputy leader T Harish Rao gave a detailed presentation on multiple cases at Telangana Bhavan on Friday, explaining how survey numbers were included in, removed from or retained on the list, and how transactions were permitted thereafter, in stark contrast to each other over the last few months, allegedly to facilitate the interests of Congress leaders and private persons.

Overnight, scores of private property owners found themselves unable to construct new houses, mortgage or sell their properties, raising questions over ownership itself and turning the issue into a nightmare. They were forced to run around government offices, only to receive a “sorry” from the Revenue Minister, who attributed the issue to a technical mistake committed by officials. Despite his assurance, a majority of them continue to run from pillar to post without any respite.

Nadargul: 373 acres under cloud

One of the major cases highlighted by Harish Rao concerns 373 acres of government land in Nadargul, Survey No. 119 (613). Though the land was included in the prohibited list, it is alleged to be under the control of private companies. Questions have also been raised over the presence of ponds and water bodies on the land and the alleged inaction of revenue authorities and HYDRAA.

He alleged that Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and a company in which his son Harsh Reddy Ponguleti is a director attempted to secure the land, despite an affidavit filed by the Revenue authorities in the Supreme Court on March 17, 2025, describing the property as government land.

Khajaguda: How did prohibited land get registered?

Another case involves Survey No. 20/1 at Khajaguda. A private construction company, SAS Infra, took 1.17 acres of government land on lease for storing construction material but was later found using 3.17 acres. In 2020, the then Collector directed the Tahsildar to take possession of the entire land and impose a penalty. The land was subsequently allotted to the BC Welfare Department during the BRS regime.

But Survey No. 20/1, which was in the 2025 prohibited list, had suddenly disappeared from the 2026 list. The land was reportedly registered in the name of SAS Infra on June 23, 2026, even as a court case concerning the land was pending.

NALA conversion and disputed titles

The case involving Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s brother, Anumula Tirupati Reddy, raises another question. Harish Rao said NALA conversion was allowed despite earlier court proceedings and a status quo order. He questioned the grant of NALA proceedings without an MRO conducting a panchanama.

The alleged deficiencies in Bhu Bharati records were reportedly being used to target private properties. In one case, the name of Vittala Radha from Gajwel appeared in pahani records from 2010 to 2016 and in Bhu Bharati records until August 10, 2026, yet 2.10 acres were allegedly registered in other persons’ names on August 13 and 14. Her family was reportedly seeking relief from the Collector’s office, but to no avail.

Raghava Construction overnight deal

Harish Rao also raised questions over a 7.19-acre land transaction involving Raghava Constructions, owned by the Revenue Minister’s family, and Phoenix. TGIIC approval was given to Phoenix on February 18, followed by the company’s agreement with Raghava on February 19. The land, reportedly worth thousands of crores, was subsequently transferred from Phoenix to Raghava.

Khanamet government land encroachment

Another case concerns government lands in Survey Nos. 41/12 and 41/13 in Khanamet. The land was identified as government property during the BRS regime by then Ranga Reddy Collector Lokesh Kumar and Revenue Secretary Somesh Kumar. Despite being in the prohibited list, it was allegedly encroached upon and is now being used for a cricket academy.

Harish Rao sought to know: if government records identified a parcel as government land and it was also protected by the 22(A) mechanism, how did private occupation continue?

Why does 22(A) matter?

At its core, the controversy raises three questions: who owns the land, whether it falls under a legally protected category, and who authorised changes in its official status. It also raises questions over how the government plans to resolve the issue. So far, there has been no affirmative action to resolve it.