The Dharani committee has called for a third-party audit of the Dharani portal to investigate allegations of unauthorized changes since its 2020 launch, including discrepancies in property records. Comprising land experts and officials, the committee proposed 32 measures for land governance reform, including renaming the portal to Bhumatha and introducing a new Right of Records Act. It emphasized establishing local oversight and a community paralegal program to assist farmers, while recommending the use of youth for land verification and the organization of village revenue courts to address grievances.
The Dharani committee has recommended that the state government conduct a third-party audit of the Dharani portal to investigate allegations of unauthorized changes since its launch in September 2020. Concerns have been raised about alterations to property owner names, survey numbers, land extents, and the inclusion of some survey numbers in the prohibited property list, among other erroneous entries. Additionally, the committee urged that the maintenance of the Dharani portal be handed over to government agencies such as the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the Centre for Good Governance (OGG), or TSOnline, citing the need to protect government data and address privacy issues. Currently, the portal is managed by a private agency.
The Dharani committee has proposed 32 measures for the state government, spanning short-term, mid-term, and long-term solutions. Formed a few months ago, the committee includes Rythu Commission chairman M. Kodanada Reddy, land experts M. Sunil Kumer and Madhusudhan, and former bureaucrat Raymond Peter, among others. In a separate development, the Congress government has decided to rename the Dharani portal to the Bhumatha portal and is in the process of introducing a new Right of Records (RoR) Act, 2024, which will amend the existing RoR Act, 2020, and incorporate additional provisions.
The committee also recommended the establishment of a land governance innovation cell and a legal support cell to assist the government with land governance reforms. It emphasized the need to resolve pending Dharani applications and suggested launching a new village-level program for receiving land grievance petitions, similar to revenue sadassulu. Additionally, the committee called for correcting and updating the prohibited properties list, including the removal of pre-1958 assigned lands from it.
The committee highlighted the absence of officers or supporting revenue department personnel at the village level following the abolition of village revenue officers (VROs) and village revenue assistants (VRAs). It recommended appointing a responsible individual to oversee land administration in each village. Additionally, the committee proposed a unique community paralegal program within the rural development department to assist farmers in resolving land-related issues.
To enhance land management, the committee suggested employing youth for physical verification of land parcels and records, as well as identifying land problems. It recommended organizing village revenue courts to address these issues. Furthermore, paralegals and community surveyors from district rural development agencies (DRDAs) could be assigned to support these initiatives.
The Dharani committee's recommendations aim to enhance land administration and protect data integrity amid rising concerns over unauthorized changes. By shifting management to government agencies and establishing local support structures, the committee seeks to empower communities and improve transparency in land governance. These initiatives could significantly benefit farmers, ensuring their rights and grievances are effectively addressed.
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