Property owners across Telangana, particularly in and around Hyderabad, are facing growing uncertainty after large areas of land were included in the prohibited properties list under Section 22-A of the Registration Act. Such restrictions can prevent owners from selling, transferring or registering their properties.
What is the issue?
Section 22-A allows certain categories of properties to be prohibited from registration. These can include:
➤ Government land
➤ Assigned land
➤ Waqf and endowment properties
➤ Ceiling surplus land
➤ Bhoodan land
➤ Properties involved in certain legal disputes
The concern is that some privately owned properties are reportedly appearing on the prohibited list even though owners claim they have valid documents and have possessed the properties for years.
2.2 lakh acres seeking removal
According to reports, around 2.20 lakh acres of patta land are currently seeking removal from the prohibited list. Nearly 20,000 applications are reportedly pending before district collectors.
The Telangana Revenue Department has directed collectors to clear pending applications within 45 days.
Officials have also indicated that some owners may not know their property has been placed on the prohibited list. In some cases, owners reportedly discover the restriction only when they attempt to sell or register the property.
Hyderabad region particularly affected
The issue is significant in areas around Hyderabad and surrounding districts, including Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Sangareddy, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri and Vikarabad.
Property owners and builders say restrictions can delay property transactions, bank loans and resale agreements, creating financial difficulties for families and developers.
Government response
Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy has directed officials to protect government land while ensuring that genuine landowners and poorer sections do not face injustice.
The government has also been reviewing applications seeking removal of eligible private properties from the prohibited list.
Why are property owners worried?
Property owners are mainly concerned about:
➤ Difficulty selling or transferring property
➤ Registration being refused
➤ Problems obtaining or completing bank loans
➤ Houses and apartments becoming difficult to resell
➤ Long delays in removing wrongly listed properties
➤ Lack of clarity over why some survey numbers were included
➤ Possible financial losses for property owners
What can property owners do?
Owners should first check whether their survey number or property appears on the Section 22-A prohibited list.
If a property has been wrongly listed, owners should keep their title documents, sale deeds, pattadar/passbook records and other supporting documents ready and approach the appropriate revenue and registration authorities for correction or removal.
For complicated ownership or title disputes, obtaining professional legal advice may be necessary.
Bigger concern for Telangana’s real estate sector
The Section 22-A issue has become a major concern for Telangana’s property market. With thousands of applications reportedly pending, delays in correcting records could affect property sales, housing transactions, bank financing and confidence in the real estate sector.
At the same time, authorities face the challenge of protecting government and assigned lands while ensuring that genuine private property owners are not wrongly prevented from dealing with their legally held properties.
