VIJAYAWADA: The government has taken a significant step towards regularising encroached lands in the State, providing relief to thousands of underprivileged families. To simplify the process, applications can now be submitted through Mee Seva Centres as well as village and ward secretariats.
This initiative aims to eliminate the need for multiple visits to government offices, and ensure a transparent process, according to Revenue Department Special Chief Secretary and Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) G Jayalakshmi.
Under Government Order No 30, the Land Regularisation Scheme 2025 has been launched. Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2025. As a key policy decision, land titles will be issued exclusively in the name of women beneficiaries. Once an application is approved, beneficiaries will receive the land title and conveyance deed. Full ownership rights will be granted two years after receiving these documents. Applicants need to submit verified documents through Mee Seva. Only lands occupied before October 15, 2019, will be considered for regularisation.
Following the directives of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, CCLA authorities have developed a fast and transparent digital application system to ensure efficiency.
The regularisation process will be free of cost for encroachments up to 150 square yards. For encroachments between 151 and 300 square yards, BPL families need to pay 15% of the basic land value and 50% of the registration fee, while Above Poverty Line (APL) families need to pay the full registration fee. For encroachments between 301 and 450 square yards, BPL families need to pay 100% of the basic land value, and 50% of the registration fee, while APL families need to pay 200% of the basic land value, and the full registration fee.
Encroachments exceeding 450 square yards will require payment of five times the basic land value and 100% of the registration fee. Failure to comply will result in government reclamation of the land. Certain areas will not be eligible for regularisation, including layout plots, canal embankments, riverbanks, master plan and zonal plan-designated areas, and water resource lands.
Applicants and their family members should not be income tax payers, and they should not own a four-wheeler. Eligibility criteria also include a maximum monthly income of Rs 10,000 in rural areas and Rs 14,000 in urban areas, with electricity bill payments not exceeding Rs 300 per month.
Total landholding, including both dry and wet land, should not exceed 10 acres. Only brick-walled structures with RCC or asbestos roofs will be considered, and property tax, electricity, and water bills will be used to verify eligibility.
Pending applications from previous rounds will also be reviewed. Village and ward secretariat staff, under tahsildar supervision, will conduct field verification to assess occupied lands. Once verification is completed, an initial list of eligible beneficiaries will be published. Applicants will have the opportunity to raise objections before the final list is prepared and forwarded to Sub-Collectors and RDOs. If applicants have concerns regarding the final list, they may appeal to the Joint Collector within 30 days.
After final approval, tahsildars will send the list to the respective sub-registrar and registrar for land registration.