Notwithstanding the interest generated by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on comprehensive land survey in the State, not many believe that the massive exercise can be completed in six months.
Given the fate of Bhu Bharathi project and National Land Record Management Programme in the State which were not taken to their logical conclusion, it is reasonable to expect the resurvey to be completed in three years, they say.
Attempts were made earlier for resurvey of land under the Bhu Bharathi pilot project to move from the realm of presumptive title to the conclusive land title.
Bhu Bharathi was taken up as a pilot project in Nizamabad for resurvey of land, conclusive land titling and registration reforms to register the title deed in 2005. The resurvey of land in rural areas of Nizamabad was completed but the other two processes are still pending, sources said.
The sources also point out that the Centre had sanctioned ₹165 crore for the National Land Record Management Programme in 2014 and ₹85 crore had been released but the amount had not been spent so far for the purpose.
When the government could not utilise what was released under the NLRM, it would be unrealistic to think that the entire land survey could be done within six months.
However, there are no two views that it is high time to get the resurvey done.
“If the government is sincere and provides resources and manpower, one can hope to complete the process in three years,” they say.
The comprehensive survey can be completed in public private partnership (PPP) mode as was done in the case of Bhu Bharathi project in Nizamabad. Aerial photographs of the land would be verified on ground by giving training to private staff under the supervision of surveyors and deputy tehsildars.
Sources said that existing land disputes would be recorded pending legal outcome. But the resurvey and recording of existing land holdings would minimise future disputes and bring in clarity. In case of encroachments of government and forest land that may come to light, such encroachments will be recorded and they will be reclaimed or regularised under the law.
Shortage of surveyors should not be a problem for the land survey as modern technology is available now and aerial photographs of the land could be taken from an aircraft.
Sources also rule out that the resurvey of land can create unrest in villages if people are explained the purpose and merits of the survey in gram sabhas and how it will eliminate disputes in future.
Land owners will get to verify the extent of land holdings in their possession and record it for posterity by marking the boundaries accurately.
