Hyderabad:The National Informatics Centre (NIC), a Central government entity, is set to assume full responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the Dharani portal from December 1, following a month-long technical handover process.
The private firm TerraCIS, which managed the portal under the BRS government, will exit its role on November 30.
The state government had issued orders on October 22 transferring the portal's management to NIC, signalling a shift from private to public sector control of the state’s integrated land records management system.
This decision, influenced by concerns over data security and operational reliability under the previous BRS regime, is expected to enhance transparency and efficiency.
The management shift is part of a three-year operational agreement between the state government and NIC, with an option for a two-year extension based on performance. Officials anticipate financial savings, estimating an annual reduction in operational expenses of approximately ₹1 crore.
In preparation for the transition, Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) Navin Mittal issued guidelines for disposing of pending applications on the Dharani portal. Previously, district collectors exclusively managed application approvals, leading to significant backlogs. Now, authority has been delegated to additional collectors and revenue divisional officers (RDOs).
Out of 3.4 lakh applications pending during the BRS regime, 2.35 lakh were cleared during a special drive conducted by the Congress government in March this year. However, 1.05 lakh applications remain unresolved.
According to a circular issued by Mittal, additional collectors will now be the final approving authority for mutations, issuance of pattadar passbooks where the owner name is listed as ‘house/house site,’ and passbook data corrections.
Applications related to succession, assigned lands without pattadar passbooks, pending non-agricultural land conversion (NALA), and survey number digital signing will be finalised by RDOs.
MROs will verify and forward applications to RDOs for scrutiny. Based on recommendations, additional collectors will approve or reject applications, with rejections requiring valid reasons.
