As the stage is being set for the launch of the survey of lands across the State through digital mode, experts are suggesting that the government initiate settlement process simultaneously to avoid legal complications.
The government should enact a comprehensive new survey act replacing the 1923 Act in vogue and constitute a dispute redressal mechanism like tribunals for taking cognizance of the objections raised by the land owners on fixing of boundaries so that they could be resolved expeditiously. The replacement of the old legislation was mandatory as it reportedly has several lacunae that need to be rectified for taking up a fool-proof survey of the lands.
The last time land survey was taken up in Telangana was in 1930s, almost 90 years ago, while in practice survey would be conducted once every thirty years or so. Though the government had contemplated to launch land survey along with the Land Record Updation Programme taken up three years ago, it could not materialise. The survey was necessitated as there was mismatch between the land registered with the authorities concerned and the actual field situation. There was also absence of village maps, field measurement books of tippons and sethwars considered to be parent records of all details pertaining to lands.
In this background, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao during a recent review meeting announced the government’s resolve to launch digital survey of lands to end land-related disputes once and for all. The Revenue department has commenced the exercise to gather information on the modalities adopted by States lime Bihar, Odisha and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh which conducted land survey.
Andhra Pradesh, for instance, deployed drone technology envisaging exact demarcation of boundaries so that extent of land of each holder could be fixed exactly. The exercise is aimed at finalising the modalities before inviting expression of interest from the interested parties.
“Conduct of survey alone will not suffice. The government should take up settlement simultaneously so that the consent of land owners for the boundaries fixed through the survey is obtained,” Nalsar adjunct professor and land issues expert Sunil Kumar told The Hindu . He said simultaneous conduct of survey and settlement exercise would give sanctity to the records that would be generated and this would pave the way for the enactment of the much desired title guarantee legislation.
