Telangana Congress Chief Demands Forensic Audit Of 'Dharani Portal' Transactions

Revanth Reddy alleged that by using the Dharani portal, some people, with the help of leaders of the ruling BRS party, were encroaching on the lands or indulging in other irregularities.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday demanded that a forensic audit of Dharani land management portal and ORR contract given to a private firm be done by the agencies of the central government. Revanth Reddy alleged that by using the Dharani portal, some people, with the help of leaders of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, were encroaching on the lands or indulging in other irregularities. He demanded a forensic audit of the 25 lakh transactions conducted through the Dharani portal, IANS reported.

Reddy further alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his son Minister K.T. Rama Rao, were involved in fraudulent activities and were looting people's money like cyber criminals. He also claimed that landlords and feudalists were connected to the portal.

Reddy asserted that the revenue records, which should be in the government's possession, have fallen into the hands of IL&FS, the entity managing the Dharani portal. He questioned how the government could enter into an agreement with a company that has defaulted on bank loans amounting to Rs 90,000 crore. Additionally, he alleged that TerraCIS Technologies, which manages the Dharani portal on behalf of IL&FS, has sold a 52.26 percent stake to a company from the Philippines for Rs 1,275 crore.

Demanding a forensic audit of the 25 lakh transactions on the Dharani portal, Reddy intends to approach investigating agencies and, if necessary, seek judicial intervention. He also asserted that the Dharani portal was not Chief Minister KCR's brainchild, as it had been initiated in 2010 in Odisha.

Revanth alleged that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had found fault with the Odisha state government for giving the management of Dharani to a private firm in 2010-2014. “The system is not new and a failed experiment, which is now being implemented in Telangana,” he said.

“Union minister G Kishan Reddy should take up the issue with the CAG. I will also file complaints with police and other relevant authorities. There is a strong suspicion of a scam  in Dharani. If needed, we will go to the court also,” Revanth said.

Earlier, addressing public meetings, KCR had slammed the Congress party for opposing the Dharani portal and promising to throw it in the Bay of Bengal if voted to power in the coming elections. KCR urged people to throw the Congress party into the Bay of Bengal. He alleged that the Congress wanted to bring back the system of middlemen.

The Dharani portal was introduced by the BRS government in 2020 as a comprehensive solution for all land records, as part of a larger-scale reform in the revenue system. However, opposition parties, particularly the Congress, argue that the portal has exacerbated the problems faced by landowners, especially farmers.