The irony is hard to miss. Dharani portal, launched with the aim of facilitating easy transaction of lands, has, in fact, increased the worries for a section of farmers. The intensity of the problem can be gauged from the fact that mandal level officers in Sangareddy are reportedly receiving 200 to 300 applications a month seeking redressal of grievances that have arisen due to Dharani. And pressure is mounting on the District Collector, the only empowered authority, to address the issues.
“Okay, you have already informed the media. Come again. We don’t know when it will be addressed” is the sarcastic comment that the aggrieved farmers frequently face from officials concerned.
Take the example of K. Madeppa, a resident of Kankol village in Munipally mandal. He had 4.3 acres, and an additional 1.6 acres of a neighbour’s land was mentioned in his name in the land records. When the actual owners approached him in December 2018 to return their 1.6-acre land parcel by submitting a ‘no-objection’ letter to the mandal revenue officer (MRO), Madeppa responded positively. However, he was surprised to note that he did not receive Rythu Bandhu assistance in July this year.
When Madeppa approached the agriculture officers, he was informed that all his lands had been transferred in the name of others. Since then, he has been making rounds of the offices of the MRO, revenue divisional officer (RDO) and the Collector, but to no avail. “I had already received the passbook, so I did not have any doubt. The doubt cropped up only when I did not receive Rythu Bandhu. Ever since, I am suffering,” he shares.
B. Ramachander, president of Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham, the farmers’ wing of CPI(M), states that there are at least 30 to 40 farmers in every village, facing one or the other problem due to Dharani.
“In some cases, buyers were issued proceeding copy of mutation after registration but it was not reflected in the revenue records which showed names of old owners. In some other cases, patta land was mentioned as waqf or inam land. Scores of people are suffering in villages like Satwar, Picharagadi, Machireddypalle, Bidkanne, Gudupally and Auranganagar. They are unable to sell the land even for emergency requirements. Recently, we urged the government to authorise the RDO to make changes in Dharani records as it is not always possible to approach the Collector,” he adds.
Listing the usual problems, a Revenue official says, “Issues such as non-implementation of old mutations in land records, land not being transferred to the genuine owners, large chunk of lands being under prohibition list while there was case on an acre or two, and patta lands being mentioned as inam lands are coming to our notice.”
Each mandal office has been receiving 200 to 300 applications every month and each of it is to be addressed by the Collector. Once an application is received in the Collector’s login, it is downloaded and forwarded to the MROs concerned. “After field verification, we prepare a manual file which is checked by the RDO, section assistant, section superintendent, DRO, Additional Collector and Collector. It takes about a month for the file to move from MRO’s office to the Collector,” said the official.
