HC Seeks Report on Protection Of Revenue Records

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the principal secretary, revenue, to submit a comprehensive report on the safeguards in place to protect confidential official records, and to explain how internal communications between revenue authorities were reaching private parties before final administrative orders were passed.

Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar issued the direction while hearing a writ petition filed by Pedda Thimmanna, a resident of Mellachervu in Jogulamba Gadwal district, who challenged an internal report prepared by the tahsildar recommending rejection of his request relating to alleged missing land extent of 0.3 acres in the Dharani/ Bhu Bharati land records.

The petitioner approached the High Court questioning the report-cum-endorsement, even though the revenue divisional officer (RDO), the competent authority, had not passed the final order on the application.

Justice Shravan Kumar questioned how the petitioner had obtained what appeared to be an inter-departmental confidential communication between the tahsildar and the RDO, particularly when the report had neither been addressed nor communicated to him.

The court observed that the case was "a standing example" of the manner in which the revenue department was functioning, with confidential communications and reports allegedly finding their way into the hands of private parties even before they were approved into formal orders.