TS to regularise 13 lakh plots, houses with notarised papers

HYDERABAD: The state government is likely to regularise nearly 13 lakh plots and houses that were purchased on notarised documents, on the lines of the scheme implemented for agricultural land holdings with 'sada bainama' (agreements written in plain paper).

Officials have been refusing to register these properties since the owners do not possess valid sale deeds or purchase documents. This prevents sale and purchase of the properties.

People in the rural areas used to sell and purchase agricultural land holdings without registering the same. These transactions were called 'sada bainamas, which are agreements made on plain paper and not through the registrations department.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in 2016 announced a scheme to regularise 'sada bainama' transactions, benefiting owners of such properties.

Since then, MLAs cutting across party lines have been demanding a similar scheme for owners of plots and houses which were purchased on notarised documents. AIMIM Assembly floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had raised this issue in every session, citing the hardships being faced by such owners.

The CM entrusted the task of studying the feasibility of regularising such properties to a Cabinet sub-committee on resource mobilisation comprising ministers K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao, V. Srinivas Goud besides Chief Secretary and senior officials of the revenue department.

The committee held a preliminary meeting on February 13 where it directed the collectors of all the district collectors to send details on the number of such plots and houses in their jurisdiction.

Official sources said that from the replies of the collectors it became clear that 13 lakh plots and houses were owned through notorised documents.

The committee was supposed to meet on Monday to go through these details but it was postponed by a week.

The committee is expected to recommend imposing a fee on property owners for regularisation to ensure that the government also earns revenue out of the regularisation exercise. The MLAs have urged the government to impose a nominal fee and not as per existing market rates as doing so would burden people from middle and lower income groups.