Section 22A Land Registration Act Telangana #telangana #land#registration#government #news #politics

Original author：Goparaju Sai Prasad

Original source：https://www.youtube.com/embed/HFQB7-V92Cc

Section 22A of the Registration Act (1908) is a legal provision adopted by states like Telangana to prevent the illegal registration, sale, or transfer of certain categories of land. When a survey number or property is placed under the "22A Prohibited List," it acts as a hard stop at the Sub-Registrar’s Office (SRO)—meaning the registration department is legally bound to refuse any sale deeds, gift deeds, mortgages, or transfers for that property. 1. Why Does Section 22A Exist? Before digitization, fraudulent real estate agents and encroachers frequently manufactured fake documents to sell government or public properties. By the time the government found out, land parcels had already changed hands multiple times, resulting in long court battles. To stop this, Section 22A empowers the state to flag sensitive or public properties directly in the registration database so that transactions are blocked at the source. 2. What Categories of Land Fall Under Section 22A? Typically, properties that belong to the public interest or are tied to legal disputes are placed on this list. Common categories include: * Government Lands: Properties owned by state or central government departments, local bodies, municipalities, or gram panchayats. * Assigned Lands: Lands given by the government to landless poor individuals, which usually carry statutory restrictions against private sale or transfer. * Endowment & Religious Lands: Properties belonging to temples, mutts, religious institutions, or Wakf boards. * Water Bodies & Buffer Zones: Lands designated for public utility, tanks, canal beds, or lake buffer zones. * Ceiling Surplus & Court-Disputed Lands: Land declared surplus under land ceiling laws or frozen due to active court litigation. 3. Why is it a Major Issue for Buyers and Owners? * Hard Stop at Registration: Even if a seller hands over clean-looking historical papers or a clear Encumbrance Certificate (EC), if the parent survey number is mapped to the 22A list, the sub-registrar's digital system will reject the registration outright. * No Bank Loans: Banks and financial institutions treat 22A-flagged properties as non-marketable and will automatically reject home or mortgage loan applications. * Wrongful Inclusions (Clerical Errors): Due to historical mapping errors, digitization mismatches, or missing court order updates, thousands of genuine private landowners have found their legitimate properties erroneously flagged under 22A, preventing them from selling or monetizing their assets. 4. How to Check if a Property is Affected * Online Search: You can check properties before making any financial commitments (like paying a token advance) by visiting the IGRS Telangana portal and checking the "Prohibited Property" database using the specific District, Mandal, Village, and Survey Number. * Note on Urban Properties: In cities like Hyderabad, city door numbers or apartment flat numbers will not yield results directly. You must trace the property back to its original revenue survey number to run an accurate 22A check. 5. What Can You Do If Your Property is Wrongfully Listed? The Telangana government has set up redressal mechanisms, grievance portals (such as through the Bhu Bharati / Dharani framework), and dedicated committees to help genuine private owners clear erroneous 22A tags. * Gather Proof: Collect your registered title deeds, pattadar passbooks, historical links, and layout approvals. * File a Grievance: Submit a formal correction request or objection through revenue channels / official grievance portals with supporting documentation to get the survey number reviewed and removed if proven to be private, undisputed land.