Government Orders Forensic Audit On Dharani Portal

Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy today announced that the State government was initiating a forensic audit of the Dharani portal, which had served as the land records management system.

During a discussion on the Bhu Bharathi Bill in the Assembly, he said that a comprehensive investigation would be undertaken into the portal.

He said that under the previous administration lands valued in the thousands of crores of rupees had changed ownership, with properties involved in litigation being categorised under Party-B and subsequently regularized.

The minister alleged that BRS leaders had engaged in the indiscriminate registration of unlawfully obtained lands for their associates. In certain instances, the BRS leaders seized some properties where the landowners were absent, claiming that the authorities had issued no objection certificates.

He also claimed that BRS leaders wrongfully appropriated lands belonging to people of economically disadvantaged communities including the backward classes and scheduled tribes, using the portal.

He said that the Bhu Bharathi Act would cover everyone who owned land, and would protect their interests.

The minister took the opportunity to also say that the way that the BRS members had behaved in the Assembly was very sad. They had resorted to even insulting a dalit Speaker just to prevent the Bill from being discussed in the Assembly, he claimed.