Good News for Landowners.. Registrations Cleared for 9 Lakh Acres of Freehold Land.. Effective from September 10!

The Andhra Pradesh government has taken a major decision on the long-pending issue of freehold land registrations. According to Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad, registrations have now been permitted for nearly 9 lakh acres of freehold land that comply with existing rules. Farmers and landowners had long faced difficulties as sales and registrations stalled due to issues with land records, the freehold conversion process, and prohibited lists. The minister announced that eligible freehold lands can now be registered starting September 10, 2026, though land records must still be compliant with the applicable regulations.

Alongside freehold lands, the government has also accelerated efforts to resolve issues related to lands on the 22-A prohibited list. Between July 23 and August 31, 2026, applications were received seeking removal of about 28,790 acres from the prohibited list, of which action has already been completed for 1,102 acres. The minister said decisions on the remaining applications would follow soon. Around 20,000 acres worth of applications are still pending review, and the government plans to address these quickly as well. Going forward, if any application is rejected, the reason must be communicated to the applicant in writing - a move aimed at bringing more transparency for landowners. The government is also pushing forward digital land record initiatives like "Mee Bhoomi - Blockchain Technology" as part of a long-term solution to land record issues.

However, there's an important clarification here - this decision does not mean all freehold lands are now automatically eligible for registration without any conditions. The minister's statement specifically applies to the 9 lakh acres that are "compliant with rules." Experts advise every landowner to first verify whether their land is genuinely freehold and rule-compliant, whether their survey number appears on the 22-A prohibited list, whether ownership details are correctly recorded in revenue records, and whether any investigation is pending on their land.