Collectors to closely monitor comprehensive land resurvey: Ponguleti

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy during a video conference with Collectors, Additional Collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers and Survey Department officials on Wednesday.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy directed district Collectors to closely monitor the comprehensive land resurvey and take an active role in resolving land-related issues at the field level.

At a video conference with Collectors, Additional Collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers and Survey Department officials on Wednesday, the Minister asked Collectors to visit villages regularly, interact with farmers and explain the survey process and the mechanism available for raising objections after the completion of the survey.

He directed officials to conduct public announcements in villages once every 15 days after issuing notices, so that landowners were aware of the opportunity to register their objections. Officials should also immediately communicate the extent of land recorded in revenue records and the extent established through the resurvey to the respective landowners, he said.

Mr. Srinivasa Reddy said Palair constituency had been selected as a pilot project, with the resurvey being taken up in all 141 revenue villages under its jurisdiction.

The Minister said the government had already issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the exercise, but variations in its implementation had been reported from different areas. Based on feedback, the SOP would be suitably modified.

He said a recent meeting with field officials from Siddipet, Medak and Sangareddy districts had focused on discrepancies in land extent, government lands and other disputes in villages where the survey had been completed or notices issued.

While appreciating the performance of the Collectors of Nalgonda and Khammam districts in conducting the resurvey, he expressed dissatisfaction with the progress in Nizamabad and asked the officials concerned to improve their performance and expedite the exercise in line with the targets.

Expressing concern over the continued pendency of issues relating to lands listed under Section 22-A, he said the government had already issued clear instructions on resolving them. Collectors should take special initiative to examine individual cases at the field level. Revenue Secretary D.S. Lokesh Kumar and Housing Secretary V.P. Gautam were present.