Dharani is Gone. What is Bhu Bharati, and why should I care?
Everyone is talking about Bhu Bharati. News anchors are shouting. WhatsApp groups are buzzing. You’re wondering — what the hell is this?
If you want a serious answer on Bhu Bharati, click here. Or if you prefer Telugu, భూభారతి బిల్లుపై పూర్తి వివరాలు.
I tried reading the full Bhu Bharati Act. I fell asleep. Thrice.
So I decided to do the hard work for you. Here’s some interesting things the government is trying to do — explained in plain language, with actual quotes from the Act.
1. Free lawyers for farmers
If you're a small farmer and can’t afford a lawyer for your land issue, the government might help you by giving a lawyer for free. No need to feel helpless when you're facing big landlords or officials.
Official Quote (Section 15(8)):
“The Government, may take necessary measures to provide free legal services to the farmers who are not in a position to file appeal before the Tribunal or the Appellate Authority under section 14.”
2. If you held land illegally for 12 years, you might get to keep it (only if you're a small farmer - not if you're a goon)
This one’s wild. If you bought land without papers before 2014 and have been farming it for over 12 years, you might just get to keep it legally now.
Official Quote (Section 6(1)):
“Where any small or marginal farmer acquired Rights over Agricultural land by virtue of an alienation or transfer made or effected otherwise than by a registered document before 02.06.2014... the Government may order... regularisation of unregistered transactions.”
3. Land will now be geo-tagged: your plot will have a digital Aadhaar
Your land now gets a digital fingerprint called Bhudhaar. No more fake boundaries. The government will know exactly where your plot starts and ends.
Official Quote (Section 2(2)(b)):
“'Permanent Bhudhaar' - a Bhudhaar assigned to indicate that the Geo-referencing of the parcel of land or lands appurtenant to the property has been completed.”
4. Commissioner = judge. No court? No problem.
If no special land courts are set up yet, the Commissioner becomes the judge. Literally. Your land dispute could be decided in an IAS officer’s office.
Official Quote (Section 14):
“Until such Land Tribunal is constituted... the Commissioner shall be deemed to be Land Tribunal for the entire State or for such area, as the case may be.”
5. Jagirs, Paigahs, Inams – all now officially government land
Inherited some land from a royal ancestor? Unless it was officially reassigned to you, it’s now government land. End of story.
Official Quote (Section 3(3) & 3(4)):
“The Jagir lands... shall be recorded and maintained as Government lands... The Inam lands... shall be recorded and maintained as Government lands in the Revenue records.”
6. Need a loan? Online title is enough
Need a loan? If your name is in the online Record of Rights, that’s enough. You don’t need to show any old paper passbooks anymore.
Official Quote (Section 10(6)):
“The credit agency shall not insist the production of physical pattadar pass book cum title deed for granting of loan.”
7. Land record = truth (until proven otherwise)
Whoever’s name is in the Record of Rights is considered the legal owner. Don’t agree with what’s written in the land record? Then it’s your headache to prove it’s wrong. Until then, the record is king.
Official Quote (Section 11):
“Every entry in the Record of Rights shall be presumed to be true and correct until the contrary is proved or until it is otherwise amended...”
8. "Dharani" is dead. Say hello to "Bhu Bharati"
That controversial Dharani portal? It’s being replaced in all official Acts with a new name: RoR Portal. Fresh branding. Same headaches?
Official Quote (Section 23(2)):
“The word ‘Dharani’ or ‘Dharani Portal’ found in the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018... shall be replaced with ‘RoR Portal’.”
(......until a new government decides to do something like this again)
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