Kishan Reddy demands judicial inquiry into Telangana land issue

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy called for a judicial inquiry into the Section 22A land registration issue in Telangana, a move also heavily criticized by the BRS party for causing 'widespread confusion and anxiety' among property owners.

Kishan Reddy Demands Judicial Inquiry

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday demanded a judicial inquiry into the Section 22A of the Registration Act issue in Telangana and said the matter should be investigated thoroughly. Section 22A of the Registration Act, 1908 restricts transactions involving government, assigned, endowment, Waqf and surplus land, as well as properties under legal dispute. Speaking to the media in Hyderabad, Reddy called for a judicial inquiry into the issue and stressed the need for an independent examination of the matter. He also added that the government should be transparent in its functioning.

In April 2026, the Telangana state government directed revenue authorities to update the list of properties under the prohibited list of Section 22A of the Indian Registration Act, which empowers the state government to prohibit the sale of any land parcel and prohibit its registration.

CM's US Visit Denial

The Union Minister also reacted to the denial of permission to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to visit the United States. Reddy said the issue should not be politicised. Revanth Reddy was denied permission by the Centre to visit the US. However, the MEA has clarified that his visit was not considered appropriate "to the office held and the purpose of the visit", and therefore political clearance was not granted.

BRS Slams State Government

Earlier, former Telangana Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samiti's (BRS) Deputy Floor Leader T Harish Rao said that the Congress-led Telangana government has caused "widespread confusion and anxiety" among lakhs of property owners. Rao said that the state government had added "entire colonies and large numbers of properties" under the prohibited list of Section 22A of the Indian Registration Act, which empowers the state government to prohibit the sale of any land parcel and prohibit its registration.

Rao, addressing a protest in Malkajgiri on Tuesday demanding the immediate cancellation of the 22A prohibited lands list, said that the Congress government had created widespread confusion and anxiety among lakhs of property owners by adding entire colonies and large numbers of properties to the prohibited list without proper verification. "CM Revanth Reddy's government has become like a stone in the hands of a madman. A government that is supposed to solve people's problems is creating new problems. If entire colonies are suddenly placed under Section 22A, where should ordinary people go? Should citizens be made to run around government offices and wear out their footwear to correct mistakes made by the Government?" he asked.

Harish Rao recalled that the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act was repealed by the then Congress government in 2008 and that several lands subsequently became regular properties, with families living on them for decades. He questioned why an issue that had not existed for nearly 20 years was suddenly being created by the present Government. (ANI)

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