Private Lands in 22-A category : CCLA warns revenue officials

Visakhapatnam: Many complaints were registered stating that the private lands were incorporated in the list of 22-A prohibited properties (government lands).

Though the complaints were registered across the state, majority of the complaints were registered in Visakhapatnam district.

In order to protect the government lands, the government has scheduled it as a ‘22-A’ account and the prohibited lands were listed in the category.

However, at several places due to various reasons, the private lands were also listed in the 22-A prohibited properties account.

Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) noticed that a large number of complaints have registering from the private persons stating that their lands have been listed in the 22-A category.

The CCLA also found that majority of the complaints have been coming from Visakhapatnam district only.

At a review meeting held recently in the city, CCLA and Special Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Puneta warned the revenue officials that stringent action would be initiated against the officials and employees who listed the private lands in the 22-A category.

“CCLA Anil Chandra Puneta warned the revenue officials to review and correct the 22-A listed lands, if any private lands were incorporated in the list.

In fact, the CCLA before coming to the meeting already had some information on the issue and he specially mentioned that many complaints have been pouring from Visakhapatnam district only.

He also mentioned that due to the seriousness of the issue, he convened the meeting in Visakhapatnam only,” a senior revenue official told The Hans India.

He also pointed out that the revenue officials and employees, who are working at the field-level, have to take the responsibility.

The CCLA directed the district administration to identify who intentionally listed the private lands in 22-A prohibited properties and to take serious action against them.

“The CCLA not mentioned any specific mandal and village, but there is some information that some of the private lands have been listed in 22-A category in Padmanabham and Anandapuram mandals.

But we have to verify the records to check against the allegations.

The CCLA also directed the Collectors in the state to finalise the 22-A list at an earliest and send a copy to the stamps and registrations department to check if any party is coming for registrations in the listed lands,” the senior official said.