The Telangana Government has unveiled the Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights) Act 2024, replacing the previous Dharani Act established during the tenure of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). During the Assembly session on Wednesday, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy highlighted that the new legislation addresses numerous issues present in its predecessor, which caused significant confusion and difficulties for landowners.
One of the key features of the Bhu Bharati Act is the introduction of ‘Bhudhar Cards’, akin to Aadhaar Cards, designed to streamline document referencing.
“We have not merely introduced this new bill to replace the old one; extensive discussions were held with experts and various stakeholders to create a comprehensive solution that tackles all concerns,” the Minister stated.
The Act guarantees that all landowners will receive a passbook and provides a mechanism to appeal in the event of errors in land mutation records. To handle disputes, a two-tier system will be established in each district, aiming to resolve issues without the need for court proceedings.
Once the registration process is completed, landowners will promptly receive their mutation certificate along with a passbook. The mutation certificate will be accompanied by a map to verify against multiple registrations.
Additionally, this new legislation permits the regularization of land transactions conducted under ‘sada bainama’, which refers to agricultural lands bought and sold without formal documentation.
“Landowners who lack official proof of ownership will still receive a passbook,” the Minister noted, further explaining that the previous Dharani Act led to considerable confusion, which effectively halted registrations across the state for over four months.
