Harish Rao Demands White Paper on Section 22A Land Restrictions

Former minister and BRS leader T Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of creating widespread uncertainty among property owners by placing large numbers of lands under the Section 22A prohibited list. He alleged that properties that had been legally cleared in the past were being brought back under restrictions, leaving lakhs of people unsure about the status of their lands.

Speaking at a media interaction at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao questioned the government’s decision to include properties under Section 22A despite the Urban Land Ceiling Act having been repealed. He recalled that the law was abolished across the country in 1999 and completely withdrawn in Telangana in 2008 under the then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Harish Rao argued that lands already released from ceiling restrictions should not be brought under the same provisions again. He alleged that several properties in Hyderabad were being added to the prohibited list without sufficient clarity, citing Srinagar Colony as an example. He said homes in Survey Numbers 8 and 9, where residents had lived for years, were also reportedly included.

The BRS leader said the issue was causing serious difficulties for property owners and buyers. He alleged that people were completing payments and registration formalities, only to be told at the final stage that their properties fell under Section 22A. He further claimed that amounts paid through challans were not being refunded.

He said banks that had previously sanctioned loans after government authorities issued No Objection Certificates were also facing difficulties because the same properties were later included in the prohibited list.

Harish Rao also alleged that complaints had surfaced of officials demanding a 30% commission to remove properties from the 22A list. He demanded a comprehensive investigation and sought a white paper detailing all properties added to the prohibited list since December 7, 2023. He also called for wrongly listed lands to be removed immediately.

On farmers’ welfare, Harish Rao alleged that the government had stopped the Rythu Bima scheme from August 13. He said the scheme had provided insurance protection to 42.15 lakh farmers and claimed the proposed replacement could leave around 13 lakh farmers without coverage. The BRS, he said, wanted the existing scheme continued unchanged.

He also accused the government of presenting misleading figures on Rythu Bandhu allocations, claiming ₹14,743 crore was spent in 2022-23 compared with ₹5,057 crore in 2024-25 and ₹11,800 crore in 2025. Harish Rao alleged that welfare funding had been reduced despite claims of increased support.