Sada Bainamas, literally “simple agreements,” refer to unregistered property transfers conducted on plain paper without stamp duty or registration.
Published Sep 12, 2025 | 6:05 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 12, 2025 | 6:05 PM
Without legal titles, farmers could not use their land as collateral for availing loans.
Synopsis: A government notification said the regularisation process will be overseen by Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs). Acting as inquiry officers, they will verify claims and issue ownership certificates. Successful applicants will receive new Pattadar passbooks, enabling formal registrations and mutations.
The long-awaited notification, issued recently by the Telangana government to regularise Sada Bainama transactions, has come as a major relief to farmers.
Sada Bainamas are informal land sale agreements on plain paper that have long plagued small farmers with legal uncertainty.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy called it a “historic initiative.” “It will fulfil the dreams of lakhs of farmers ditched by the previous BRS government,” he said.
The scheme, cleared by a recent high court ruling, promises to regularise holdings for nearly 10 lakh applicants. When completed, it will end a five-year legal impasse. It is also expected to give new life to the rural economy.
Sada Bainamas, literally “simple agreements,” refer to unregistered property transfers conducted on plain paper without stamp duty or registration.
Farmer K Mallesh of Nizamabad said, “I bought two acres in 2009. For years, I feared losing it. Now, with legal papers, I can finally sleep in peace.”
This colonial-era practice has remained widespread in rural Telangana. Farmers, often illiterate or cash-strapped, bought or sold small plots—up to 2.5 acres of wetland or 5 acres of dryland—without navigating the bureaucratic maze.
The method was cheap but risky. Buyers had no legal title, which opened the door to disputes, evictions, and exclusion from government benefits.
Earlier, such transactions were recognised under the Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbooks Act of 1971. But inconsistencies in record-keeping led to disputes, especially after state formation in 2014.
In 2016, the then BRS government launched the first phase of regularisation under the Record of Rights (RoR) of 1971. It processed over 12.64 lakh applications and issued passbooks to 6.18 lakh farmers after scrutiny.
In a farmer-friendly gesture, the government exempted fees for small holders. Still, many applications were rejected due to verification problems.
In 2020, a second phase was announced through Government Order (GO) Ms. No. 112. Applications were invited from 12 October to 10 November 10.
The response was overwhelming. By October 29, 2.26 lakh applications had been filed. By the extended deadline, another 6.74 lakh were added, totalling over 9 lakh applications.
However, the process hit a roadblock. The 2020 amendments to the RoR Act complicated matters. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by farmer Shinde Devidas from the Nirmal district challenged the regularisation. The high court imposed an interim stay.
For five years, these cases languished. Farmers remained trapped in limbo. The deadlock fuelled rural discontent and became a flashpoint in the 2023 Assembly elections. The Congress, sensing the mood, promised a resolution in its manifesto.
The turning point came on 6 August 2025. A division bench of the high court, led by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin, dismissed the PIL and lifted the stay. The court cited the enactment of the Telangana Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2025, which allows regularisation of Sada Bainamas under Section 6.
Following the court’s green light, the Revenue Department issued the notification on Wednesday, 10 September. It directed authorities to process pending applications under Section 6(1) of the Bhu Bharati Act.
Eligibility is clear. Applicants must prove continuous possession for at least 12 years, with transactions executed before 2 June 2014. They must also have Pattadar passbooks or documents under the 1971 Act. The scheme covers small and marginal farmers in rural areas. Urban and commercial lands are excluded to prevent misuse.
The notification said the regularisation process will be overseen by Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs). Acting as inquiry officers, they will verify claims and issue ownership certificates. Successful applicants will receive new Pattadar passbooks, enabling formal registrations and mutations.
According to official sources, with over 70 RDOs handling the exercise, the process may take up to six months. “The workload is heavy, and checks must be meticulous,” one source said.
Without legal titles, farmers could not use their land as collateral for availing loans. They struggled to buy seeds, fertilisers, or machinery. Regularised ownership now opens access to financial services and emergency credit. It also makes farmers eligible for welfare schemes like Rythu Bharosa.
The scheme is expected to reduce land disputes, a chronic problem in Telangana. Informal transactions often led to family feuds, fraudulent claims, and evictions by vested interests. Formal records provide security, smoother inheritance, and easier transfers.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
