HYDERABAD: The Congress government, which has focused on purported irregularities in land records management during BRS rule through the Dharani portal, is reported to have identified serious lapses in its implementation.
It is learnt that the state government has, prima facie, noticed some irregularities and is mulling ordering a forensic audit of the Dharani portal to ascertain the extent. Dharani was touted as an integrated land records management system, a one-stop solution for all land-related issues.
According to sources, some land records were updated from the office of the Telangana State Technology Services (TSTS) in contravention of the norms. Revenue authorities are learnt to have noticed this by cross-checking the IP addresses that were used to change the records.
As per the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 2020, the registrar — tahsildar-cum-joint sub-registrar — and district collectors have the authority to update the land records.
The BRS government had removed the role of other authorities such as village revenue officer, divisional revenue officer and joint/additional collector in the updation of land records.
However, according to credible sources, a TSTS official illegally got access to the portal allegedly with the help of a minister in the erstwhile government.
Authorities concerned are now suspecting that the records under the heads of assigned, forest, endowment, waqf and state-owned, worth crores of rupees, were changed, using the illegal access. The TSTS office neither has a registrar nor a collector heading it.
Under such circumstances, the authorities are currently trying to identify the person who has access to update the land records. They are also investigating the alleged irregularities committed using illegal access to the Dharani portal.
A senior revenue official told TNIE, “We are investigating allegations of change of nature of land from the forest, endowment, waqf, assigned and government after the formation of Telangana till present to ascertain the facts.”
He said the accused could have updated the land records under the pretext of maintaining the server.
‘Illegal access with help of BRS minister’
According to credible sources, a Telangana State Technology Services (TSTS)official illegally got access to the portal allegedly with the help of a BRS minister.