Dharani's Forensic Audit A Non-Starter, Exposes CM and Revenue Minister's Tall Claims
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy addressing the Assembly in December 2024, where he promised a forensic audit of Dharani land records — a pledge still pending implementation.
Hyderabad: The Congress government’s much-hyped promise to conduct a forensic audit of Dharani land records to expose irregularities under the previous BRS regime remains unfulfilled even after 19 months in power.
Despite repeated assurances and statements from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy over one and a half years, no concrete steps have been taken to initiate the audit. The government is yet to even finalise the agency that will carry out the forensic investigation, raising serious doubts about its commitment to unearthing alleged land scams.
Notably, both Revanth Reddy and Srinivas Reddy have failed to act on the pledges and statements they made, including those stated on the floor of the Assembly, on conducting forensic audits.
Revanth Reddy, in a statement on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on December 20, 2024, had categorically stated that the government had resolved to undertake a forensic audit of all transactions carried out via the Dharani portal. He raised concerns about suspicious land registrations, including those carried out during odd hours — between 9 pm and 6 am — and pointed to the possibility of remote tampering with land records, including changes in land size and ownership.
The Chief Minister emphasised the need for a forensic audit, citing the potential manipulation of sensitive land data.
He also disclosed that agencies managing the Dharani portal during the BRS regime were operating from tax havens like the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands, and had access to critical data such as bank accounts, Aadhaar and mobile numbers of landowners.
The Chief Minister told the House that the revenue minister had already ordered an audit for the period between October 2020 — when Dharani was launched — and December 2023, when the BRS lost power.
On January 6, 2025, Srinivas Reddy said that the audit would be entrusted to a private agency after the Sankranti festival on January 15. He claimed that the audit would expose irregularities in various categories, including Bhoodan, endowments and assigned lands.
However, even after six months, the government has yet to finalise an agency.
Although reports surfaced suggesting that a Kerala-based firm, the Security Audit and Assurance Centre (KSAAC), had been shortlisted and that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would soon be signed to initiate the audit in four districts — Rangareddy and Sangareddy among them — no official confirmation or progress has been made. The government has neither signed any MoU nor issued a formal mandate, despite its earlier assertions.
The lack of follow-up measures following the statements made by both the Chief Minister and the revenue minister has drawn criticism from the Opposition.
Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, BJP floor leader in the Assembly, alleged that a tacit understanding exists between the Congress and the BRS, which he claims is stalling the audit process. He questioned the government’s reluctance to order an inquiry by a central agency like the CBI, a sitting judge, or a Special Investigation Team, if it was truly committed to uncovering irregularities allegedly amounting to thousands of crores.
