Telangana has directed district collectors to clear all pending applications under GO No. 59 within one month, giving a time-bound push to thousands of land regularisation cases that have remained unresolved for nearly a decade. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy issued the instruction during a review meeting at the state secretariat, while stressing that approvals must follow detailed verification of each case.
The directive covers applications seeking regularisation of encroached government land holdings of up to 500 square yards. Officials have been asked to examine eligibility, land records, the extent of land proposed for regularisation and other relevant details before taking a final decision.
The government has also warned against irregular approvals. If scrutiny identifies violations or other irregularities, authorities must review the cases under the existing legal framework and take appropriate action, the minister said. The administration has directed officials to carry out comprehensive verification to prevent errors in the disposal process.
GO 59 is part of the state’s framework for regularising government land on which residential structures have been built. Under GO 58, encroachments of up to 80 square yards are regularised without charge for eligible poor applicants. Under GO 59, holdings above 80 square yards are considered for regularisation against payment of a prescribed penalty.
Thousands of GO 59 applications have remained pending with district collectors for years. According to the minister, applicants have had to make repeated visits to government offices while waiting for their cases to be processed. The latest direction follows Memo No. 48030, issued in line with earlier government orders, including GO Nos. 14, 22, 29 and 41, which instructed collectors to accelerate scrutiny and disposal.
Cases that are involved in court disputes will be decided strictly in accordance with judicial directions, the minister said. This condition means that the one-month administrative target will not override ongoing judicial proceedings or the requirements of applicable law.
The order is part of a wider effort by the Telangana government to address land and registration-related issues linked to Section 22-A properties. Section 22-A listings can restrict the registration of properties identified by authorities as prohibited or otherwise subject to legal and administrative constraints.
The minister said the government is working to resolve 10 to 12 issues connected with Section 22-A properties. A high-level committee was constituted within 24 hours of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s assurance in the Legislative Assembly on September 16, according to the report.
Since then, the government has issued clarifications relating to GO 118 and GO 76, permitted the registration of houses, plots and flats approved by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, Directorate of Town and Country Planning and municipal authorities even when they appeared under Section 22-A, and initiated the disposal of long-pending urban land ceiling applications.
The administration has also addressed cases involving patta lands where Non-Agricultural Land Assessment procedures remained incomplete. The disposal of pending GO 59 applications is the latest measure identified by the minister as part of this series of interventions. District-level scrutiny and decisions within the one-month period will determine how quickly applicants can secure clarity on their property claims.
