Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to implement the full-fledged Bhu Bharati Act in the state on a pilot basis, taking one mandal each in the 28 districts excluding Hyderabad.

The state government had started implementing the Bhu Bharati Act in four mandals from April 14 on the occasion of Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanti. The government has so far implemented the Bhu Bharati Act in four mandals in the state including Nelakondapally in Khammam district, Lingampeta mandal in Kamareddy, Muddur mandal in Narayanpet and Venkatapur mandal in Mulugu district on a pilot basis. The applications received in these four mandals would be scrutinised and solved before June 2.

The government has been taking up awareness programmes on the new Act in at least two villages in these mandals. The Collector has been participating in these programmes. Two teams of six members have been formed under Tahsildar and Deputy Tahsildar. Special training classes were organised for the officers implementing the Act to make the Bhu Bharati Act understandable to the farmers. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, who played a key role in the Bhu Bharati Act, took it as a challenge and toured the districts extensively and personally participated in two to three awareness sessions per day. From April 17 to 30, he participated in about 45 sessions in about 20 districts.

Revenue conferences were held in 72 revenue villages in four pilot mandals from April 17 to 30. Creating awareness among the people about the law in these conferences, applications on land issues were received in the respective mandals. A receipt was given for each application received. Applications prepared in a special format were given to the people the day before the revenue conference.

A total of 11,630 applications were received, including 3,702 in Lingampet, 3,969 in Venkatapur, 1,341 in Maddur, and 2,618 in Nelakondapalli. Of these, 3,446 were mainly PPB applications and 2,796 were for plain title deeds.

All the applications received were recorded on computers on a daily basis and sent to the concerned authorities. People participated in these meetings voluntarily. The meetings were completed in 555 of the 605 mandals, excluding Hyderabad, by Wednesday.

Srinivasa Reddy said that Bhu Bharati Act is going to be the beginning of a revolutionary change. He said that the Act, aimed at the welfare of the people and farmers, was receiving an unprecedented response from the people. During the tour of the districts, the farmers expressed their belief and faith that their land problems will be resolved with this Act. They expressed the hardships and sufferings they experienced through Dharani portal.

The Minister said, “We have prepared the administrative machinery to resolve the land problems of farmers as soon as possible. From now on, farmers will get their problems resolved at the revenue office itself without having to go around any courts. Bringing a law is not enough.

Only when the law is fully implemented, the farmers get real justice. The government would take all steps in that direction”.