On November 3, the Telangana High Court instructed the state government not to impose on individuals submitting Aadhaar data while uploading immovable property information to the newly launched Dharani portal, an integrated land record management system.

HC Notice to Telangana on Dharani

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy was hearing PIL filed by Advocate Gopal Sharma seeking a court order to declare the government's attempt to seek information such as Aadhaar and caste while uploading the property information, as unconstitutional and alleged to be a privacy threat.

The petitioner requested the court to announce that the constitution is in violation of certain clauses of the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Act 2020, the Telangana Municipalities Act 2019, the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018 and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act 1955.

The bench claimed that after being obtained, the protection of Aadhaar data was not supported by any law. Also directed the Telangana government to file in two weeks an affidavit on the issue. 

Advocate General BS Prasad said that the purpose of seeking Aadhaar information for agricultural land was to ensure that the government's Rythu Bandhu Scheme and other social welfare schemes would help genuine landowners. Also, the Dharani non-agricultural property registration portal will provide a simple and hassle-free way for all transfers of property.

The recently launched Dharani portal has records for around 1.46 crore acres of land and people can access their land records at any time with just a click away. During the launch of the portal KCR said that very soon, the government will conduct a survey to assign geographical coordinates-longitudes and latitudes-to lands in order to make them tamper-proof.

By: Shailaja K