Revenue Minister Ponguleti blames BRS for 22A prohibited land list mess

Days after blaming revenue officials for the prohibited lands controversy and apologising for the hardship caused to property owners, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Saturday changed tack on the Assembly floor, seeking to pin the controversy on the previous BRS government. Further, he argued that the Congress government was cleaning up an inherited mess.

During a short-duration discussion on prohibited lands, Srinivas Reddy claimed that 1,02,05,250 acres were in the 22-A list as



of August 31, including 96,36,777 acres of government agricultural land, 3,73,930 acres of private agricultural land, 1,94,543 acres of non-agricultural land and 5,12,792 acres of endowment land.

He argued that the problem was not created by the Congress government. He said the prohibited-list extent actually fell by 47,440 acres since the BRS left office, with 23,000 acres restored to people and another 20,000 acres removed after errors in old government orders were identified.