Document Guide · Telangana

How to Check 22A Prohibited Land in Telangana — Complete Guide 2026

Section 22A of the Registration Act bars specific land categories in Telangana from any sale, transfer, or mortgage. Dharani and Bhu Bharati block these transactions automatically at the Sub-Registrar level, but the list contains known errors where genuine private land has been wrongly flagged. This guide tells you how to check, what categories mean, and what to do when the portal shows a red flag.

Quick Reference

Also calledSection 22A Prohibited List, TS Prohibited Properties

Issued byRevenue Department, Government of Telangana (via Dharani / Bhu Bharati)

Valid forLive and updated; always check on the day of purchase decision

CostFree to check online on both portals

Time takenInstant online search by survey number

Online portalbhubharati.telangana.gov.in (agri land) / registration.telangana.gov.in (urban)

What is 22A Prohibited Land in Telangana?

Definition

Section 22A of the Registration Act, 1908, empowers the State Government of Telangana to bar certain land parcels from registration entirely. Once a survey number appears on the prohibited list, the Sub-Registrar is legally bound to refuse any sale deed, gift deed, or mortgage document for that parcel, no discretion, no workaround.

The six categories under Section 22A cover government land, Endowment and Waqf properties, ceiling surplus land, assigned land distributed to the landless poor, court-disputed parcels, and any land the government notifies as opposed to public policy. In theory, this protects public assets. In practice, the 2017-18 Land Records Updation Programme and the 2020 Dharani rollout incorrectly flagged thousands of genuine private patta lands in Telangana. In August 2025, the government formed a high-level committee to review a prohibited list covering over one crore acres. That review is ongoing.

For a buyer, this creates two separate risks. The obvious one: you try to register, the SRO blocks it, your money is stuck. The less obvious one: a seller shows you a property that appears clean on a quick check, but the 22A status kicks in only at the registration counter because the portal was not refreshed. Dharani and Bhu Bharati update frequently, but not in real time on every device. Check on the day you decide, not the day you first looked. The Telangana High Court has ruled that inclusion of properties must follow Rules 238 to 241 under the Telangana Registration Rules, 2016 and must specify which clause of Section 22A applies. Properties were being added without proper procedure, buyers who bought before checking had no fast remedy.

State-specific note: Dharani blocks 22A land sales at registration. But the portal has listed genuine patta land incorrectly in thousands of cases. Always check both Bhu Bharati and the Registration portal on the same day you finalise the deal.

How to Check 22A Prohibited Land in Telangana: Step-by-Step

The check is free and takes under two minutes. Use both portals, agricultural land goes on Bhu Bharati, urban and non-agricultural land goes on the IGRS Registration portal. Have the district, mandal, village, and survey number ready.

Online method (recommended)

Check agricultural land on Bhu Bharati Go to [bhubharati

telangana.gov.in](http://bhubharati.telangana.gov.in) . Click "Land Details Search" under Information Services. Select your district, mandal, and village. Enter the survey number. Check the "Prohibited Status" column on the result screen. If it shows any 22A clause, the land is blocked.

Cross-check urban / non-agricultural land on IGRS Go to [registration

telangana.gov.in](http://registration.telangana.gov.in) . Click "Prohibited Properties." Enter the district, mandal, village, and survey number. A red indicator or a clause like "Under 22A-1(a)" means the transaction is blocked at the SRO level.

Read the specific clause, not just the status The portal shows which sub-clause applies: 22A-1(a) means assigned land, 22A-1(b) means government land, 22A-1(c) means Endowment or Waqf, 22A-1(d) means ceiling surplus, 22A-1(e) means court-ordered restriction, and 22A-1(f) means government-notified prohibition

Each clause has a different legal weight. Knowing which one applies tells you whether there is any chance of resolution.

Screenshot the result with the date visible Whatever the portal shows, clean or prohibited, take a dated screenshot

If the status changes between your check and registration day, you have documented proof of what it showed when you made your decision.

Always check on both portals on the same day. A survey number that is clean on one portal has appeared as prohibited on the other in known cases. Do not check once and assume it stays that way.

Offline method (Sub-Registrar Office)

Go to the SRO or Tahsildar for the mandal The Sub-Registrar Office for your property's mandal holds the physical prohibited land records

You can ask for a written confirmation of prohibited status in person.

Request the prohibited land register entry Ask the Tahsildar to show the entry for your specific survey number in the prohibited land register

Confirm which clause it is listed under and when it was entered. Under HC guidelines, the entry must show the date it was added and the specific clause.

Ask for reasons in writing The Telangana HC ruled that the proceedings must show the date of inclusion and the procedure followed

If the office cannot provide this, the listing itself may be procedurally challengeable.

File a written objection if wrongly listed If the land is genuinely private patta land incorrectly entered, file a grievance through the Bhu Bharati portal's TM 15 module (Grievance relating to inclusion in prohibited properties list)

Attach title deeds and Pattadar Passbook as evidence. The Collector is the competent authority for removal under most clauses.

If Revenue Department fails to act within 90 days, the High Court can be approached for a Writ of Mandamus.

What Does the 22A Prohibited Land Check Show in Telangana?

Here is what each field in the prohibited land check result actually means for a buyer.

Field	What it means	What to check
Survey Number	The specific land parcel being checked	Confirm this exactly matches the parcel the seller is showing you on the ground.
Prohibited Status	Whether the land is blocked from registration under 22A	Any positive flag here means the SRO will refuse your deed; no exceptions without a delisting order.
22A Clause	Which sub-clause (a to f) is cited as the reason	Determines the type of restriction and whether it is removable; assigned land under 22A-1(a) cannot be sold without government regularisation.
Reason Description	Brief description of why the land is prohibited	Cross-check this against the seller's explanation; inconsistency is a serious warning.
District, Mandal, Village	Location identifiers for the prohibited entry	Verify these match the actual physical location being sold, not just the paperwork the seller provides.

Common Issues With 22A Prohibited Land Check in Telangana

These are the situations that have actually cost buyers in Telangana, some through fraud, others through bad timing.

Seller claims land is clear but portal was checked weeks ago

The 22A list updates continuously. A clean check last month means nothing today. Properties have been added to the prohibited list between a buyer's initial check and the registration day, blocking the transaction after the buyer had already paid.

Fix: Check again on the exact day you finalise the price. Check again the morning you go to the SRO. Dates matter.

Genuine private patta land wrongly listed under 22A

Since the 2020 Dharani rollout, thousands of private lands with valid Pattadar Passbooks appeared in the prohibited list due to data migration errors. In some areas near Hyderabad, even approved residential layouts were temporarily flagged. The seller may not be lying, the error is the government's.

Fix: If you see a 22A flag on land that has a clean Pattadar Passbook and a long ownership history, the seller must file a TM 15 grievance on Bhu Bharati before you proceed. Do not buy expecting to fix it after registration.

Land sold by unscrupulous seller despite 22A status

Sellers have collected advance payments and full amounts for prohibited land knowing the registration would fail. The buyer discovers the block only at the SRO counter. The seller disappears or disputes refunds. No registered deed exists to protect the buyer.

Fix: Never pay any amount, token, advance, or full, before running the 22A check yourself on the official portal. A seller's verbal guarantee that the land is clear means nothing.

Assigned land sold as investment land

Assigned land under 22A-1(a) cannot be sold. It was given to landless families for cultivation and remains non-transferable. Sellers in growth corridors around Hyderabad have presented assigned parcels as agricultural investment land with fabricated documents. The Telangana HC has upheld 22A's validity against such challenges.

Fix: Look for "22A-1(a) Assigned" on the portal result. If it appears, stop the conversation. This is not a paperwork issue. The land legally cannot transfer to you.

Different portals showing different status for the same survey number

A survey number can appear clear on the Bhu Bharati portal but prohibited on the IGRS Registration portal, or vice versa, because the two systems do not always sync at the same rate. Buyers who check only one portal have been caught out at the SRO.

Fix: Check both portals. Every time. For agricultural land, Bhu Bharati is primary. For non-agricultural and urban, IGRS is primary. Run both regardless.

Courts incorrectly added to prohibited list

The Telangana HC found that certain revenue authorities added land to the prohibited list without specifying the clause, the date of inclusion, or the procedure followed, violations of Rules 238 to 241 of the Telangana Registration Rules, 2016. In one case, a Karimnagar Collector cancelled 453 registered documents on the basis of an improperly maintained prohibited entry.

Fix: If a property's 22A listing does not show a clear date, clause, and procedure, that entry may be legally challengeable. Get a lawyer to review the specific listing before you walk away or proceed.

Why 22A Prohibited Land Check Matters for Land Buyers in Telangana

These are the situations that have actually cost buyers in Telangana, some through fraud, others through bad timing.

📋

Sub-Registrar has no choice but to refuse The moment a survey number is on the 22A list, the SRO cannot process any deed for it, sale, gift, or mortgage

There is no discretion, no exception, no workaround at the registration counter. Buyers who skip the check and pay first find this out when it is too late.

⚠

Banks treat 22A land as non-marketable title Every bank in Telangana runs a 22A check before approving any loan

Land on the prohibited list is classified as having a non-marketable title. The bank will not lend against it. If you buy without checking and later try to raise funds against the land, the loan application is dead on arrival.

🏦

One crore acres were under review in 2025 In August 2025, the government issued GO Ms No

98 forming a committee to review Telangana's prohibited land list covering over one crore acres. This is not a small clerical exercise. It signals the scale at which genuine private land ended up prohibited. The review is live. Status changes are happening. Every check should be fresh.

🔍

Telangana-specific: Dharani blocks but does not always warn before advance payment The Dharani and Bhu Bharati systems block registration at the counter

They do not send a warning when money changes hands privately before registration. Sellers take advance payments on prohibited land knowing the technical block exists but the buyer does not. The system protects the registry, not the buyer's wallet. Checking first is the only protection. A

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check 22A prohibited land status in Telangana 2026?

Go to [bhubharati.telangana.gov.in](http://bhubharati.telangana.gov.in) for agricultural land or [registration.telangana.gov.in](http://registration.telangana.gov.in) for urban plots. Enter district, mandal, village, and survey number. Free, instant. Check both portals on the same day you decide.

What are the Section 22A categories in Telangana?

Six clauses cover assigned land (a), government land (b), Endowment and Waqf land (c), ceiling surplus (d), court-restricted parcels (e), and government-notified prohibitions (f). Each clause has different legal weight and a different removal process.

Can I buy 22A prohibited land in Telangana?

No. The Sub-Registrar cannot process your deed. There are no exceptions at the registration counter. Some listings have errors and can be removed, but that correction must happen before you buy, not after.

Does Dharani block 22A sales automatically in Telangana?

Yes, Dharani and Bhu Bharati block 22A transactions at the SRO level automatically. But the block happens at registration, not when advance money changes hands privately. Check before any payment, not before signing at the office.

Is a bank loan possible on 22A land in Telangana?

No. Banks classify 22A-listed land as non-marketable title. Every lender runs this check. The loan application is rejected outright. Even if the listing is a portal error, it must be officially removed before any bank will lend against the property.

How do I remove patta land wrongly listed under 22A in Telangana?

File a TM 15 grievance on Bhu Bharati portal under ROR Corrections. Upload title deeds and Pattadar Passbook as evidence. The District Collector decides. If no action in 90 days, approach the High Court for a Writ of Mandamus.

What happens if a seller takes my money and the land is 22A prohibited?

Registration is blocked at the SRO. No deed is created in your name. Recovery depends entirely on a civil suit against the seller. There is no fast remedy. The only protection is checking the portal before any payment.

Is 22A assigned land in Telangana ever transferable?

Not without government regularisation. Assigned land under 22A-1(a) was given to landless poor and is non-transferable. Assignments made before June 18, 1954 are sometimes eligible for review, but the land remains prohibited until officially removed.

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