Telangana Plans Land Pooling Law

Hyderabad:The state government is all set to introduce the Telangana Comprehensive Area Development Planning Bill, 2026, aimed at providing a permanent solution to the problems faced during acquiring land for major infrastructure and development projects across the state.

Official sources said the proposed legislation is expected to establish a dedicated, state-wide legal framework for land pooling, enabling the government to acquire land for large projects while ensuring that landowners also benefit from the development.

The Bill is likely to be introduced in the upcoming monsoon session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly in August, sources added. Officials have expedited the process of finalising the draft bill.

Officials are studying land pooling models followed in states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra while formulating a framework suited to Telangana. At present, Telangana does not have dedicated legislation governing land pooling across the entire state.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju has already held a series of meetings with senior officials of the municipal administration, roads and buildings, irrigation and transport departments, besides HMDA, to examine various provisions to be incorporated into the proposed legislation. The draft is currently at a preliminary stage, and officials are working on giving it a final shape.

The proposed system is intended to benefit both landowners and the government. Large tracts of land are required for national highways, railway lines, the Regional Ring Road, industrial corridors, industrial parks, townships, proposed high-speed rail corridors, airport expansions and irrigation projects.

At present, the announcement of land acquisition for any infra project is triggering protests from farmers and landowners who fear losing their lands, leading to delays. The government is therefore examining a model under which landowners can become stakeholders in development and receive a share of the benefits arising from projects.

The proposed legislation is also considering the land pooling model followed at Uppal Bhagayath by the HMDA with the participation of landowners. A portion of the pooled land was utilised for the Metro Rail project and other public requirements, while some of the remaining land was returned to landowners as developed plots.

Officials are examining a mechanism under which a portion of the pooled land, after development and provision of roads and other infrastructure, could be returned to the original landowners in the form of developed plots. The government has also involved the irrigation department in the exercise, as several major irrigation projects have faced delays over relatively small land-related issues.

The government is expected to constitute a special committee comprising senior officials from various departments soon to take the land pooling policy forward and finalise the proposed legislation. The recommendations of the committee will form the basis for the final draft of the Bill. The government is of the view that a legally backed new legislation to conventional land acquisition and an integrated state-wide approach to land pooling could accelerate infrastructure development while reducing disputes and resistance over land acquisition.