AP Land Re-Survey: TDP Takes Forward YSRCP’s Landmark Legislation, Credit Row Erupts

A political debate has resurfaced in Andhra Pradesh over the state’s land re-survey programme , with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) asserting that the initiative was conceived and legislated during its tenure, while acknowledging that the TDP-led coalition government is currently taking it forward.

YSRCP leaders, however, criticised the ruling alliance for not giving due recognition to the previous government , stating that reforms of this scale should be acknowledged as institutional efforts rather than politically rebranded initiatives .

The programme is anchored in the Andhra Pradesh Land Titling Act, 2023 , popularly known as the AP Clean Land Titling Act , which was passed by the Legislative Assembly in March 2023 during the YSRCP government led by former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy .

Party leaders recalled that the reform had drawn international attention , noting that Geetha Gopinath , former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) , had referred positively to the land governance initiative during discussions at the World Economic Forum .

Responding to claims surrounding farmer land passbooks, YSRCP leaders said QR-code-enabled passbooks introduced under the previous regime already carried geo-coordinates, boundary data and Google Maps integration . The continuation of identical information in passbooks being issued now, they argued, indicates that survey data generated earlier continues to form the backbone of the programme .

According to the party, Andhra Pradesh had not witnessed a comprehensive agricultural land survey since the British era , particularly after 1932 . While earlier surveys conducted in 1802 and during the Great Trigonometrical Survey (1926–1932) were manual, the YSRCP government initiated a modern satellite-based re-survey using GPS and GNSS technology .

The exercise was conducted through 70 base stations across the state and achieved nearly 99 per cent accuracy in geo-referenced land records, significantly reducing the scope for boundary disputes and record inconsistencies .

YSRCP leaders said around ₹400 crore was spent on the exercise, including the installation of lakhs of survey stones , and that the Centre provided incentives for effective implementation. Allegations of excessive expenditure were dismissed as misleading.

The Land Titling Act was introduced to eliminate discrepancies in ownership and revenue records , ensure clear land titles , reduce disputes and improve farmers’ access to institutional credit . While welcoming the continuation of the programme by the present government, YSRCP leaders reiterated that policy continuity must also include acknowledgment of its origins , describing the reform as a continuum of governance rather than a contest for political credit .