Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Telangana Minister Assures Dalits Government Will Not Seize Land
Telangana’s Revenue Minister said Dalits should not fear losing their land.
He said the government will not take even a small part of it.
Officials recently asked 120 farmers in Erravalli to bring documents proving ownership.
This happened after the chief minister announced an inquiry into a farmhouse linked to K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
The chief minister said the farmhouse includes a large amount of government land.
The minister said checking records and surveying land can help settle disputes.
He accused powerful people of spreading fear for political reasons.
He also said the government would protect the land rights of Dalits and tribal communities.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said the government will not take even an inch of Dalits’ land.
His assurance followed notices sent to 120 Dalit farmers in Erravalli seeking land-ownership documents.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ordered an inquiry into K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s Erravalli farmhouse.
Revanth Reddy claimed the farmhouse covers 700 acres, including 388 acres of government land.
The minister said surveys and record checks aim to protect land rights, not seize land.
- Who
- Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Dalit farmers, and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
- What
- The revenue minister assured Dalits that the government would not seize their land and explained the purpose of land-record checks.
- When
- The assurance was issued on Sunday, after notices were sent to 120 farmers and after an Assembly announcement the previous week.
- Where
- Erravalli village in Siddipet district, Telangana, including the area around K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse.
- Why
- The minister said the government is verifying land records, investigating alleged government land at the farmhouse, resolving disputes, and protecting ownership rights.
Government Position
Criticism and Concern
Purpose of land notices
Government Position
The minister said notices, surveys, and record verification are lawful steps to clarify ownership, resolve disputes, and protect land rights.
Criticism and Concern
The notices to 120 Dalit farmers, issued amid an inquiry into the farmhouse, have generated concern that land could be taken.
Political interpretation
Government Position
The minister accused powerful individuals of spreading malicious propaganda and inciting Dalits for political gain.
Criticism and Concern
The opposition-linked concern described in the report centers on the fear that the government’s land review could affect Dalit ownership.
Past promises and record
Government Position
The minister said Congress has historically distributed land and protected marginalized communities, citing its claimed distribution of Dalit and tribal land.
Criticism and Concern
The minister criticized BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, saying he promised three acres to Dalits but later ignored that promise.
- Minister
- Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Telangana’s Revenue Minister
- Farmers notified
- 120 Dalit farmers in Erravalli
- Farmhouse size claimed
- 700 acres, according to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy
- Government land claimed
- 388 acres within the farmhouse area, according to Revanth Reddy
- Dalit land distribution claimed
- Congress governments distributed approximately 25 lakh acres to Dalits in the Telangana region
- Tribal land rights claimed
- Nearly 2 lakh acres of Podu land rights were granted to tribal communities
- Government position
- Land surveys and record verification are intended to clarify and protect ownership rights