Appointment Of Licensed Surveyors In Mandals, GPOs In Villages Underway: Revenue Minister Ponguleti
State govt to appoint over 24,000 officers for land administration: Ponguleti
HYDERABAD: Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that up to six licensed surveyors will be appointed in each mandal, based on the land there. Additionally, a grama palana officer (GPO) will be appointed for every revenue village as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen land administration.
Speaking at a review meeting with revenue department officials on Friday, Srinivas Reddy said that the final written examination for trained licensed surveyors will be conducted on July 27. Practical lab tests, under the supervision of JNTU-Hyderabad, will follow on July 28 and 29, with results expected on August 12. Those who qualify will undergo 40 days of apprenticeship training.
He said this initiative was part of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s vision to reform the revenue system and ensure transparent and efficient land services for the public. “The state government is actively working to improve the survey wing, which had been neglected for over a decade under the previous BRS regime,” he added.
Highlighting the importance of accurate land records, the minister said that under the new Bhu Bharati Act, survey maps have become mandatory for property registration. To meet this requirement, 10,000 candidates applied for licensed surveyor training, of whom 7,000 were selected in the first phase and underwent 50 days of training beginning May 26.
The remaining 3,000 will begin training in the second week of August. As part of efforts to improve public access to revenue services, GPOs are being appointed to all 12,751 revenue villages. Of the 3,554 candidates who cleared a qualifying exam for the posts, recruitment is underway. Another qualifying exam will be conducted on July 27 for additional candidates.
Srinivas Reddy said that resurvey work has been completed in five pilot villages that previously lacked official maps and land records (sethwars). These include Salarnagar in Mahbubnagar, Kommanapalli in Jagtial, Mulugumada in Khammam, Nuguru in Mulugu, and Shahidnagar in Sangareddy, covering 2,988 acres.
The minister said the resurvey was conducted transparently in the presence of farmers, without any disputes. He added that such surveys will bring clarity in land ownership, reduce disputes, and significantly benefit rural landholders. Based on the success of the pilot, the government will now initiate resurvey in the remaining 413 villages lacking proper maps.