Alleged land patta irregularities surface in Tuggali mandal

Kurnool: have emerged of large-scale irregularities in issuing land pattas (title deeds), particularly D-form pattas for agricultural land in Tuggali mandal of Kurnool district.

Affected farmers, including leader Naikanti Benny, claimed they were deceived after paying bribes ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh for pattadar passbooks that do not correspond to any identifiable land on the ground.

N Benny accused former Village Revenue Officer (VRO) C Nagendra, who served in Tuggali and is now posted in Ratana, of bypassing norms by issuing pattas to around 350 farmers without proper identification, demarcation, or physical verification. Beneficiaries were allegedly not shown the land, yet details appeared in their passbooks, creating the false impression of legitimate ownership.

Benny said a patta for 2.01 acres in Survey No. 344-B8 was issued in 2022 in the name of his wife, Manikumari. However, he alleged that despite repeated requests, the land has never been shown to them on the ground. A 2023 land resurvey revealed discrepancies, with details missing from official online records.

Many farmers secured bank loans using these passbooks as collateral but later faced repayment notices from banks demanding land identification or full settlement.

Responding to the allegations, VRO Nagendra denied corruption, asserting no money was collected. He described Benny as his brother-in-law and claimed he helped register the land in Benny's wife's name (his sister) by pressuring the then-Tahsildar, at Benny's request, without personal gain.

Speaking with The Hans India, Tuggali Mandal Tahsildar Ravi attributed the issues to lapses in 2016–17, when pattadar passbooks were issued without mandatory D-patta issuance or assignment committee approval. Discrepancies surfaced during resurvey, leading to cancellations of invalid passbooks. A detailed inquiry report is underway per higher authorities' directives, with indications that the number of affected farmers may exceed initial estimates.

The controversy highlights systemic flaws in land allocation processes, leaving farmers financially burdened and seeking accountability.