Andhra Pradesh lifts freeze on registration of nine lakh acres of freehold assigned lands, Revenue Minister Anagani Satyaprasad announced at a District Collectors’ Conference in Vijayawada. The decision allows registrations to resume for parcels deemed compliant with existing rules, effective immediately.
Registration freeze lifted
The state has cleared 9.09 lakh acres of freehold, also called pre-hold, land for registration. These parcels satisfy the prescribed criteria, enabling owners to record titles without further delay.
Within that total, about 1.36 lakh acres classified as gram seva inam, village service land, are now also eligible for registration under the same order.
Ongoing inquiries and restrictions
A separate inquiry has been launched concerning roughly 4 lakh acres where irregularities were reported. Officials will decide the registration status of these parcels after the investigation concludes.
Meanwhile, a ban remains on about 3.63 lakh acres pending additional review. The restriction will stay in place until the review process is completed.
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Revenue reforms and the 22-A list
The coalition government says it is committed to a permanent solution for long-standing land disputes and to securing full ownership rights for landholders. It previously removed 28 lakh acres from the state’s prohibited 22-A list, which blocks registration of certain land categories.
To streamline removal of eligible parcels, the administration issued Government Order 444. A second order, Government Order 445, clarifies how new parcels will be added to the 22-A list moving forward.
The 22-A list prevents legal registration or transfer of land until the restriction is lifted, a situation that has historically stopped owners from selling, mortgaging, or otherwise dealing with their properties.
In 2022, the previous government expanded the 22-A list by adding 28 lakh acres, a move that drew criticism from landowners and industry groups for its breadth. The current administration frames the recent removal of those acres as a correction of an overly restrictive approach while retaining safeguards through the ongoing inquiry.
The minister did not provide a timeline for completing the inquiry into the flagged 4 lakh acres, nor did he detail the specific criteria that will guide the final decision on those parcels.
