Telangana staff reject minister blame over 22-A land list errors

Employee associations in Telangana have hit back at Ministers who blamed officials for the controversy over prohibited Category 22-A land lists, calling the finger-pointing unfair. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy admitted the inclusion of private properties was a mistake by District Collectors using outdated lists. Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy then suggested a conspiracy by officials from the previous government, and said he had warned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy four months ago that 42,000 acres in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district appeared on the list.

Employees argue officials only follow government orders and cannot act independently. They question how the problem could appear simultaneously across districts if it were the act of a few employees. Revenue staff note that the Stamps and Registration Department had sought land details last October, and those were submitted in the prescribed format. The Ministers have promised a comprehensive inquiry into the 22-A lists, but employees demand answers about what the government did after the Chief Minister was allegedly alerted four months ago.