Hyderabad: In a major push to resolve some of Telangana’s longest-running land conflicts, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy has ordered a joint survey of more than 10 lakh acres caught in disputes between the revenue and forest departments.The exercise, to be carried out using modern technology and scientific survey methods, aims to settle boundary issues that have remained unresolved for decades and pave the way for a dispute-free land administration system in the state.At a review meeting attended by officials from the revenue, forest, survey and settlement departments at the secretariat on Monday, the minister stressed the need for seamless coordination between the two departments, from the village level to the state level, to address the contentious issue.According to official sources, boundary and ownership disputes involving revenue and forest lands persist in nearly 35 assembly constituencies, particularly across the erstwhile Adilabad, Khammam, Warangal and Mahbubnagar districts. Many of these regions contain extensive forest tracts where jurisdictional boundaries have remained a source of conflict for years.Srinivas Reddy directed officials to undertake joint field surveys and clearly demarcate boundaries using scientific techniques and modern technology. He noted that disputes between the revenue and forest departments are especially widespread in the erstwhile Khammam, Warangal and Adilabad districts. In addition to these, several cases involving patta lands and govt lands also remain unresolved.The minister instructed officials to thoroughly scrutinise land records, survey maps and related documents before finalising boundaries, ensuring that fresh disputes do not arise in future. He said departments should work in tandem rather than shifting responsibility onto one another and focus on achieving time-bound resolutions.Stating that prolonged land disputes have caused significant hardship to farmers and landowners, the minister called for transparent, evidence-based decision-making. He directed officials to immediately resolve issues that can be settled locally and promptly place policy-related matters before the state govt for a decision.He also appealed to farmers and residents to cooperate with the survey exercise and instructed revenue and forest officials at the district and mandal levels to form joint committees to ensure effective implementation.
