Telangana Staff Unions Object as Ministers Blame Officials Over 22-A Land List

Hyderabad: Employee associations have raised strong objections after Telangana ministers blamed government officials and staff for the widespread controversy surrounding the Section 22-A prohibited land list.

The issue escalated after numerous land and property owners discovered their assets placed in the prohibited category, preventing transactions and forcing owners to seek denotification. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy acknowledged the problem at a press conference, stating that District Collectors had continued using outdated copies of the prohibited land lists. He apologised to the affected public, describing the situation as a mistake by officials.

The controversy deepened after Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy suggested a potential conspiracy by officials from the previous administration to damage the government's reputation. Announcing a comprehensive inquiry, he stated that he had alerted Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy four months earlier about 42,000 acres in Yadagirigutta being included in the prohibited list.

Employees and service associations responded with dismay, arguing that staff merely execute administrative instructions. A member of the Telangana Employees Sangham stated that employees work according to government directives and questioned how an issue present across multiple districts could be attributed to individual staff actions.

Revenue Department employees noted that the Stamps and Registration Department had sought details of properties tied to court cases and other disputes in a specific format last October, which staff submitted accordingly. Associations questioned why corrective steps were not taken earlier if leadership was aware of the issue months in advance.