HYDERABAD: The preparations are underway for a forensic audit of land records in Telangana, with the Telangana Technology Services Limited (TGTS) set to finalize an agreement with a security audit agency from Kerala within a week.
Following the state government’s approval of this initiative about a month ago, the revenue department has instructed TGTS to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the selected agency. Sources from the revenue department disclosed that the law department had approved the necessary terms a week ago, paving the way for the agreement’s signing with the Kerala-based agency shortly.
The initial phase of the audit will focus on suspicious land transactions in various districts, particularly Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Sircilla, and Siddipet, with potential extensions to additional districts in subsequent phases.
Last December, the state government announced the forensic audit targeting questionable land transactions recorded on the Dharani portal, which the previous BRS government launched in September 2020. Both Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy have raised concerns in the assembly about irregularities in land transactions, noting that some occurred at midnight and even from international locations. They also expressed suspicion regarding the locations of the Dharani servers.
“The government will provide data on government and prohibited land parcels across various districts prior to 2014, as well as the current status. The agency will investigate transactions and submit a report within three months,” stated a senior official.
The agency will also verify if there have been any alterations to land records and review the timing and place of the suspected illegal transactions. The forensic audit may leverage either digital footprints or blockchain technology, though it remains unclear which approach the firm will adopt. A digital footprint encompasses all the online activities linked to an individual’s identity, including IP addresses and transaction history across internet-connected devices.
