Telangana Cabinet orders Dharani inquiry, seeks Central aid over rainfall deficit
Hyderabad: Telangana Cabinet on Friday approved a Dharani inquiry into suspected land transaction irregularities and decided to seek Central assistance to tackle a nearly 40% rainfall deficit linked to the El Nino effect.
The Cabinet met under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat. Later, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and other ministers briefed the media on the decisions.
The government will ask the Centre to send a special team to assess the drought situation. It will also seek financial support to implement contingency measures. Meanwhile, officials will prepare action plans for drinking water, irrigation, agriculture and power supply.
District collectors must prevent drinking water shortages. Likewise, irrigation authorities will reserve available project water for drinking purposes. In addition, power utilities must ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.
The Cabinet also advised farmers to cultivate crops that require less water. Furthermore, it directed the State Planning Board to prepare a report on the impact of El Nino with the help of agricultural experts and scientists.
Dharani inquiry to examine 10,000 suspicious transactions
The Cabinet approved a Special Enquiry Team to conduct the Dharani inquiry into suspected irregularities in land registrations and record changes made through the portal since October 29, 2020.
A forensic audit reportedly identified more than 10,000 suspicious transactions. Therefore, investigators will examine digital records, login details, land classifications, approvals and beneficiary details.
The inquiry will also examine the role of IL&FS, which managed the Dharani portal. It will review the tender process, portal design, system architecture and data security arrangements.
The Cabinet said those responsible for irregularities would face strict action. Accordingly, the Special Enquiry Team will identify officials, individuals and organisations involved.
The Cabinet also approved a high-level committee to prepare a unified policy for government engineering works. The panel will examine project planning, land acquisition, tendering and contract management.
In addition, the Cabinet approved amendments to allow transgender persons to become nominated co-opted members in municipal corporations. It also cleared changes to let gram panchayats deposit funds in banks or post offices instead of the treasury.
The Cabinet approved a rail hub near Shamshabad for the proposed high-speed rail corridors connecting Hyderabad with Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. Finally, it cleared the completion of the Mukteshwar Lift Irrigation Scheme to irrigate about 45,000 acres in Manthani.
