After keeping registrations of farmers’ lands on hold for nearly two years in the name of alleged irregularities, conducting verifications, inquiries and setting up committees, the Chandrababu Naidu government has finally taken a key decision. The government has issued a fresh GO allowing registration of 9.09 lakh acres of freehold lands. Of this, the government itself has acknowledged that 7.85 lakh acres had acquired freehold status as per the prescribed rules.
This raises a key question: the lands over which doubts were raised and whose registrations were blocked for nearly two years have now largely been found to be legally eligible. If everything was in order, why were registrations stopped for two years? Why were farmers made to wait for so long? This has now emerged as the central question surrounding the issue.
Freehold Land Registrations
Jagan Government Granted Rights in 2023.. 13.59 Lakh Acres Made Freehold by the Time of Elections
In 2023, the then YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government introduced legal changes aimed at providing ownership rights to poor farmers who had been cultivating assigned lands for several years.
Under the rules, the government initiated a process to grant rights over agricultural assigned lands that had completed 20 years and house sites that had completed 10 years. According to figures released by the then government, 13.59 lakh acres had been converted into freehold land by the time of the elections.
However, the government changed and the coalition government led by Chandrababu Naidu came to power. Soon after, the entire freehold land process came under scrutiny, with doubts being raised over the manner in which the lands had been made freehold.
Registrations Stopped from August 2024.. Restrictions Extended 15 Times!
Registrations of freehold lands were stopped from August 2024. The re-examination process began following allegations of irregularities in the freehold process carried out during the previous government.
The restrictions were not extended just once or twice. According to the clipping, the restrictions were extended 15 times over a period of two years.
Verifications..
Sub-committees..
Examination of records..
Scrutiny of land details..
A lengthy administrative process was undertaken on a large scale.
In March 2025, a Cabinet sub-committee was constituted to examine the issue and make recommendations on freehold lands. The process continued based on the committee’s recommendations, while farmers were left waiting for clarity over the status of their lands.
What Did the Government Finally Conclude? 7.85 Lakh Acres Were as per the Rules!
After months of scrutiny, multiple rounds of verification and repeated extensions of restrictions, the latest decision of the government has brought the central question back into focus.
The government has now permitted the registration of 7.85 lakh acres of land that had legally acquired freehold status under the prescribed rules.
In addition, registrations have been opened for other eligible categories, including private patta lands, lands eligible for freehold status but for which the relevant orders had not yet been issued, dotted lands and other qualifying categories. Taken together, registrations have now been permitted for a total of 9.09 lakh acres.
This development raises an important political and administrative question:
If the lands were legally eligible, why were their registrations stopped for two years?
Green Signal for 9.09 Lakh Acres.. But Why the Two-Year Restriction?
According to the latest government decision, registration has been permitted for freehold lands that meet the prescribed rules. Assigned lands account for the major portion, with 7.85 lakh acres covered under the decision. Along with other eligible categories, the total area cleared for registration stands at 9.09 lakh acres.
This raises a question on behalf of farmers:
If such a large portion of the lands that were blocked for two years in the name of suspected irregularities has now been recognised as eligible, who is responsible for the delay, difficulties and possible losses faced by farmers during those two years?
Government scrutiny is one matter. But keeping registrations of legally eligible lands suspended for an extended period is another.
2.87 Lakh Acres Still Under Scrutiny.. Violations Found in 38,733 Acres
However, the government has not indicated that the entire freehold land issue has been completely resolved.
Around 2.87 lakh acres are still under examination, according to the latest details.
As per the figures mentioned in the clipping:
- Violations were identified in 38,733 acres.
- 25,486 acres were separately identified on the grounds that the land was not in the possession of the concerned parties.
- Registrations had already taken place for 8,483 acres.
- Examination of records and eligibility is continuing in respect of some other lands.
This means that while the government has opened the registration route for a large portion of the lands, it also has the responsibility of determining exactly where violations have occurred among the remaining lands.
Was the Freehold Process Questioned Because It Benefited Farmers?
The stated objective behind the decision taken in 2023 was to provide ownership rights and legal security to farmers who had been cultivating assigned lands for several years.
However, after the change in government, the entire process came under scrutiny and was portrayed as potentially irregular.
Now, the government itself has allowed registrations for a substantial portion of the lands covered by that process.
Then there were doubts.. now there is permission!
Then there were restrictions.. now there are registrations!
Then there were inquiries.. now the lands have been found eligible!
Against this backdrop, the situation of farmers who had been waiting for two years for registrations raises questions that the government needs to address clearly.
Who Will Answer for the Two-Year Wait Over Farmers’ Lands?
The government’s latest decision to allow registrations for 9.09 lakh acres is likely to provide relief to the farmers concerned. At the same time, the decision has brought the developments of the past two years into sharper focus.
Registrations were stopped citing alleged irregularities.
Verifications were conducted.
Sub-committees were constituted.
Restrictions were repeatedly extended.
Finally, registration has now been permitted for 9.09 lakh acres.
But several questions remain: How much land was actually found to be irregular? Why were registrations of legally eligible lands stopped for such a long period? What mechanism is being considered to address the difficulties faced by farmers during the delay?
The government needs to provide clear answers to these questions.
Is One GO Now the Answer to Two Years of Restrictions?
The latest GO marks a significant development in the freehold land issue. The figures — 9.09 lakh acres cleared for registration, 7.85 lakh acres recognised as freehold according to the rules, and 2.87 lakh acres still under scrutiny — have taken the discussion beyond the question of registrations.
After keeping restrictions in place for two years, extending them 15 times and carrying out extensive verification, the government has now allowed registrations for such a large volume of land. This has raised questions over the extent and basis of the doubts expressed by the government earlier.
The government must now complete the scrutiny of the remaining 2.87 lakh acres in a transparent manner and provide rights to farmers who meet the eligibility criteria. At the same time, there is a growing demand for clarity on the actual reasons behind the restrictions that continued for two years and the administrative process that kept the farmers waiting for so long.
