HYDERABAD: On Friday, the state cabinet announced the establishment of a Special Enquiry Team (SET) to investigate alleged irregularities concerning land transactions and record manipulation related to the Dharani portal and its successor, the Bhu Bharati portal.
The investigation will focus on nearly six years of transactions, examining claims related to land registrations, record alterations, transfers of government land, and prohibited land listings.
As stated by revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, following a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the probe will review all transactions deemed suspicious from the launch of the Dharani portal in October 2020 until July 17, 2026.
“The Dharani portal was initiated on October 29, 2020. The cabinet has tasked the SET with thoroughly reviewing all questionable transactions from that date, extending to the present transactions in Bhu Bharati, including land registrations, record modifications, and the transfer of agricultural, assigned, and government lands, along with prohibited lists,” Srinivas Reddy explained at a press conference.
The objective of the SET, he continued, is to clarify allegations raised over the years by both Congress and opposition parties regarding the operations of Dharani and Bhu Bharati.
“The SET aims to address concerns from the opposition, including allegations from Congress regarding Dharani and from various parties regarding the Bhu Bharati Act. From the initiation of tenders for Dharani to the present, the SET will investigate all claims, including the involvement of the NIC and other related agencies,” he added.
The government has already identified over 10,000 suspicious transactions through a forensic audit, which led to the decision for a broader review of the system and records.
The cabinet also agreed to examine digital records, login details, modifications, official approvals, changes in land classifications, and beneficiary information linked to these land transactions.
Additionally, the cabinet will investigate the role of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited, the agency overseeing the Dharani portal, as well as issues related to the selection of the operating agency, tender processes, contract allocations, portal design, system architecture, and data security vulnerabilities, according to Srinivas Reddy.
The Congress government had replaced Dharani with Bhu Bharati after revising several modules to enhance land administration for farmers. Nevertheless, the cabinet noted that alleged irregularities tied to the original software architecture and functioning of Dharani continue to emerge.
Other significant decisions from the cabinet included the approval of a uniform tender policy for engineering projects across all government departments. This policy will encompass the entire project cycle, from appraisal and land acquisition to tendering, execution, and bill payments.
Furthermore, a high-level committee led by the chief secretary will be established to review and streamline project formulation, procurement, contract management, and implementation processes.
Srinivas Reddy mentioned that the decision was driven by the gradual weakening of GO 94 of 2003, the government’s foundational order on tender procedures, as departments began to create their own variations, resulting in cost overruns and delays.
Sources reported that detailed discussions were held regarding cost escalations in various irrigation projects due to delays, inflation, and other related factors. However, specifics of these discussions were not revealed during the media briefing.
