Land Regularisation Work Giving Officials the Jitters

HYDERABAD:  Land Regularisation work is giving jitters to officials of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts and in spite of  their best efforts verification and scrutiny of applications under GO 58 is taking an exorbitantly long time.

For regularisation of dwellings in unobjectionable government lands under GO 58 more than two lakh applications _ 1.42 lakh in Ranga Reddy and 61,662 in Hyderabad district, have been received.

Verification of applications started on February 1 and it was announced by officials then that within 20 days, verification and scrutiny of applications will be completed and pattas will be ready.

But due to staff crunch and practical problems, it has been more than 50 days, but still the process has not been completed.

“It’s a complex and demanding work. First, we have to inform the applicant that we are coming for verification. Later we have to verify all the documents, take photographs and survey the home. This is a very laborious and time taking process as we have to check every detail precisely and fill the details in check memo. But without knowing our problem higher officials are pressurising us to complete the process quickly. As we are focusing on regularisation work even regular works like distribution of Aasara pensions are getting affected,” explained Tirumalgherry tehsildar K Ramakrishna.

While mandal level revenue staff are dejected over officials apathy towards their plight, higher officials have a different version.

“We are not turning a blind eye to the problems of verification teams at ground level. We know that we cannot blame them for slow progress. We have deployed surveyors from other districts and inducted additional staff on regularisation work. In spite of our efforts we are running behind schedule. In fact MLC elections came as a blessing in disguise as distributing of pattas was postponed due to election code. But with elections completing and news making rounds that Chief Minister is determined to issue pattas for eligible on or after Sriramananvami festival even we are under pressure,” explained a district level official who does not want to be named.

While more than two lakh applications have been received under GO 58 till now about 9,800 applications have been determined as eligible for regularisation and pattas prepared in RR district while about 15,000 have been determined as eligible for regularisation in Hyderabad district till now.