Telangana Legislative Council passes amendment to NALA Act

The amendment allows the citizens to apply for conversion through the Dharani portal and obtain the related e-passbook immediately after the conversion.

Hyderabad: The Legislative Council on Wednesday unanimously passed the Telangana Agricultural Land (Conversion for Non Agricultural Purposes) Amendment Bill 2020. The Bill was aimed at removing discretionary powers to revenue officials under Section 47 (A) of the NALA Act. The amendment allows the citizens to apply for conversion through the Dharani portal and obtain the related e-passbook immediately after the conversion.

Introducing the Bill, on behalf of the Chief Minister, Legislative Affairs Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy said that amendment will speed up the conversion process as all the required information will be available in the Dharani portal. He said that undervaluation of the lands by some revenue officials resulted in a loss of Rs 826 crore to the exchequer.

Clarifying the doubts raised by MLCs Jeevan Reddy of Congress and Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri of AIMIM, the Minister said that Non Resident Indians will be allowed to register the details in Dharani portal through different means and the government will announce the alternative arrangements soon. He also allayed fears that revenue officials will take up physical verification of every property registered through the Portal.

The Minister also assured the members that very soon a full time Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) will be appointed. He said that the government has no other intentions in asking for the Aadhar numbers while registering details in the Dharani portal as alleged by BJP MLC Ramachander Rao and Jafri of AIMIM.

“In one way a majority of the population in the State was covered under some or the other welfare measure of the TRS government and such details are sought even by the bankers when a person opens an account,” he said.

CrPC Act Amended

The Council passed a Bill amending section 441 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act of 1973 and Form number 45 to make the “Zamindar” or guarantor of bail, responsible to bring back the accused to Court on the said date for trial.

Introducing the Bill, Law Minister A Indrakaran Reddy said that the guarantor often fails to bring back the accused for trial leading to delays. “Now we are proposing to impose fine on such guarantors who offer sureties but take no responsibility,” he said.

Congress MLC Jeevan Reddy said that many accused were getting bail from the police station itself and such criminals cannot be governed by this amendment. The Minister clarified that accused under non-bailable offences will have to seek bail only from the Court, and hence the bill can be passed in its present form.

 

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