Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes Bill granting titles to Dotted Lands, settling decades-long dispute

In a major step toward resolving the long-standing dotted land disputes in Andhra Pradesh, the state government has introduced an amendment to the Revenue Act during the current assembly session. This move is anticipated to benefit thousands of farmers across the state, who have been eagerly awaiting a solution to the contentious issue of dotted or prohibited lands.

Upon receiving approval from the governor, the state government is expected to issue detailed guidelines for the implementation of the new law. The government plans to grant titles to farmers who have possessed the lands for over 12 years, with district collectors instructed to ensure these farmers automatically receive pattadar passbooks and have their entries removed from the prohibitory lands register.

Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao highlighted the need for creating awareness among field-level officials to effectively implement the new guidelines. The changes are predicted to not only provide relief to farmers in rural areas but also stimulate urban development.

As part of the new guidelines, farmers may not be required to visit district collector or revenue divisional offices for land record mutation, as tehsildars will be empowered to make the final decisions. Official sources estimate that over 100,000 applications related to dotted land issues are pending at various levels, including the district collector and chief commissioner land administration (CCLA), with approximately 10 lakh acres of land locked in the prohibitory lands register by the administration.

The resolution of the dotted land controversy is also expected to generate additional revenue for the government, as municipal bodies have been unable to levy property taxes and the registration department has lost stamp duty revenue due to the disputes. Moreover, the landowners and those in possession of the lands have been unable to sell their properties because of the entries in the 'dotted book' at the registration office.

To expedite the resolution process, officials had previously suggested that joint collectors or collectors dedicate 3-4 hours per week to clearing pending files. However, collectors were hesitant to release lands from the prohibitory lands register.

In conclusion, the passage of this bill by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly represents a significant milestone in addressing the longstanding dotted land disputes in the state. The new guidelines are expected to bring relief to farmers, spur urban development, and generate additional revenue for the government, ultimately benefiting the state and its citizens.

Next (Maharashtra government introduces a mobile app for conveyance deed)

Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes Bill granting titles to Dotted Lands, settling decades-long dispute

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