The Revenue Department is the oldest administrative organ of the Government which plays a key role in the overall administration in the state, down from village level to district level. The main objective of the department is maintenance of village revenue records and, updating and protection of revenue records in addition to the collection of different cesses like Water Tax, NALA and collection of dues to government. The Revenue Department also administers several acts and rules in the state pertaining to land and civil administration. The department also plays active part in implementation of various schemes of government in the state.
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT:
The department is headed by the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration. The Administrative hierarchical system in the department is as follows:
- Chief Commissioner of Land Administration at Stale Level
- Collector at District Level
- Revenue Divisional Officer at Divisional Level
- Tahsildar at Mandal Level
- Village Revenue Officer at Village Level
CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF LAND ADMINISTRATION:
The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) is the Head of the Revenue Department. He is the chief controlling authority for the revenue administration comprising Revenue, Survey, Settlement & Land Records (SS&LR). He exercises statutory functions and general superintendence over all his subordinates. He is the link between the government and the administration. He monitors and guides the District Collectors and advises the government in all the policy matters pertaining to the land administration.
In addition to the above, the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration is the Chairman of the Committee for redressal of Grievances of the persons affected by the notification issued U/s. 22-A (1)(e) of Indian Registration Act, 1908.
COMMISSIONER OF SURVEY SETTLEMENT & LAND RECORDS:
The Survey & Land Records Department was created in 1875 AD in the Hyderabad state to conduct initial survey/resurvey. This work was completed by about 1936 AD. A.P, Telangana Area Land Revenue Act 1317 F was legal basis for the survey. The Survey and Land Records Department was reorganized in 1971, to create District Survey & Land Records Offices and supervisory posts of Regional Deputy Directors, for streamlining the maintenance of land records and giving better services to public. The post of Commissioner Settlements, Survey and Land Records was abolished vide G.O. Ms. No.59 Revenue (D) Dept., Dt. 21.1.1999 and his functions were allotted to Commissioner of Land Revenue after re-designating the Commissioner of Land Revenue as Chief Commissioner of Land Administration. The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration is the controlling officer having over-all supervision of Survey, Settlements & Land Records Department. Commissioner & Director of Survey, Settlement & Land Records is the ex-officio Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration and has statutory functions under following statutes
- A.P. Survey & Boundaries Act, 1923 ( Adopted by Telangana)
- A.P. Telangana Area Land Revenue Act 1317F ( Adopted by Telangana)
- The A.P. Schedule Areas Ryotwari Settlement 2/70 ( Adopted by Telangana)
- The A.P. Mahals (Abolition & Conversion into Ryotwari Regulation 1/69) ( Adopted byTelangana)
- Jagir abolition Act 1948
DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE:
After abolition of the post of Commissioner SS&LR, the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration heads Survey, Settlements, and Land Records Department. Commissioner and Director, Survey Settlement and Land Records is the ex-officio Secretary to the CCLA and head of the SSLR Wing, who also exercises certain powers of the earlier post of CSS&LR delegated by the CCLA. Under the DOS, there are two state level institutes viz., Survey Training Academy and Central Survey Office. There is a regional office covering all the thirty-one districts of the state. Every district is having a district office and at the divisional and mandal level, staff from the Survey and Land Records Department function from the RDOs and MROs offices respectively.