For more than 100 years, Bhutharaju Jangaih’s family has worked two acres of inam land, a gift from the jagirdars to his ancestors. In 2020, the revenue divisional officer granted the 56-year-old Jangaih an Occupation Rights Certificate (ORC) for a small portion of that land—specifically, over one-tenth of an acre—in Yacharam village, located in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district. However, Jangaih found himself stuck in a difficult situation when the Dharani portal was introduced by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. This new system did not allow for the issuance of a patta—a formal document granting land ownership rights—for individuals holding an ORC.
Now, there is renewed hope for Jangaih and many others in similar situations with the recent approval of the Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Bill, 2024. This new legislation aims to provide ownership rights to thousands of people across 12 different categories of occupancy. With this bill, Jangaih and his fellow land cultivators are optimistic that they will finally receive the recognition and rights they have long sought for their land.
