Freehold Rights for Assigned Lands in AP: G.O.Ms.No.588 Explained (2026)

Freehold Rights on Assigned Lands in Andhra Pradesh: Complete Guide to G.O.Ms.No.588 (2026)

What Is G.O.Ms.No.588?

On 15 September 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Revenue (Lands-I) Department issued G.O.Ms.No.588, resolving a two-year-long freeze on freehold-rights registrations under the A.P. Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977, as amended by Act 35 of 2023.

If you hold an assigned land, dotted land, village service inam land, or sharathugala patta land in Andhra Pradesh, this order directly affects whether you can now register, sell, or transfer that property.

Background: Why Was Registration Frozen?

Act 35 of 2023 allowed assignees (or their legal heirs) to sell assigned agricultural land 20 years after assignment, and assigned house sites 10 years after assignment — once granted "freehold" status. Tahsildars were required to publish eligibility lists annually under Form-VI and Form-VII.

However, stakeholders flagged irregularities: some freehold grants involved misclassified land, prohibited or Government land, or cases where legal conditions weren't actually met. As a result, the Government placed registration of such documents in abeyance from 10 August 2024, pending district-level verification — a freeze that was repeatedly extended until September 2026.

The 14-Category Resolution

A Group of Ministers, formed to examine the verification findings, reviewed roughly 14.2 lakh acres of land and sorted it into 14 categories. G.O.588 accepts these recommendations. Here's what happens to each:

Cleared for Registration

Category	Extent	What Happens
Freehold granted correctly per G.O.596	7,85,500 acres	Registration allowed immediately; land records changed to "Patta"
Private patta land wrongly treated as assigned	5,422 acres	Registration allowed without restriction
Eligible but no formal orders yet issued	64,143 acres	No fresh proceedings needed — treated as cleared
Land under both Act 35/2023 and Dotted Lands Act 2017	17,897 acres	Registration allowed
Non-water-body porambokes	24,261 acres	Registration allowed
Village Service Inam land (Artisan/Service category)	1,36,024.38 acres	Continues under existing 2026 instructions

Still in Abeyance (Registration Blocked)

Category	Extent	Status
Freehold granted in apparent violation of law	38,733 acres	RDO/Sub-Collector to verify further
Assignee/heir not in physical possession	25,486 acres	RDO/Sub-Collector to verify further
No documentary proof of assignment available	2,87,153 acres	Largest pending category — separate orders to follow
Water body porambokes	3,517 acres	Registration remains prohibited
Already registered but later found non-compliant	8,483 acres	District Collector to investigate

Conditional

• 28,292 acres — where the mandatory 20-year holding period hasn't yet lapsed. Registration is permitted only once 20 years are complete (lands assigned in or before 2006 are treated as cleared).
• 11,749 acres — excess extent beyond original assignment. Only the resurveyed (LPM) extent, or web-land adangal extent where resurvey isn't complete, will be treated as freehold.

Key Policy Changes You Should Know

1. Authority Shifts to RDO/Sub-Collector

Outside Municipal Corporation limits, the RDO/Sub-Collector — not a higher authority — is now empowered to grant freehold rights and remove land from the Section 22-A prohibited list. Government retains this power only within Municipal Corporation areas.

2. New Appeal & Revision Process

Appeal: Against an RDO/Sub-Collector's order, you can appeal to the Joint Collector within 60 days (extendable by 120 days for sufficient cause). The Joint Collector must give a hearing and decide within 60 days — but can only examine legality/regularity, not disputes over title or ownership.

Revision: If still aggrieved, you can seek revision before the Government within 90 days of the Joint Collector's order (or 90 days after a 60-day non-decision).

3. Real-Time Registration Checks

Sub-Registrars will no longer rely on a static abeyance list. Instead, at the time of registration, they must query the Webland API live — if the land shows as clear, registration proceeds; if not, the applicant is redirected to the competent authority (RDO/Sub-Collector).

4. Dotted Lands Get a 3-Way Classification

Under the Resurvey Settlement Register (RSR), dotted lands (not classified as poramboke) are now split as:

• Category I: Pattadar's name in Webland, no assignment record → treated as private land, removed from prohibited list.
• Category II: Pattadar's name and assignment record both present → treated as Assigned Land.
• Category III: Pattadar's name absent from Webland → treated as Government land, not eligible as Assigned Land.

5. Correction of Record Errors

The order directs Tahsildars to:

• Restore assignee names removed during resurvey, where originally recorded correctly.
• Enter assignee names via the SGSW (Swarna Grama Swarna Ward) portal where missing.
• CCLA must restore any freehold lands that were wrongly removed from the freehold list.

What Should Landholders Do Now?

1. Check your land's category on Webland to see if it falls under a cleared category (registration now open) or an abeyance category (verification pending).
2. If your land is in an abeyance category (Sl.No. 6, 7, 8, or 12), expect further verification by the RDO/Sub-Collector or District Collector — no action is possible until that's complete.
3. If your land was assigned within the last 20 years (agricultural) or 10 years (house site), registration will only be permitted once that period lapses, per Sl.No.11.
4. To apply for fresh freehold status, submit your application through SGSW, which routes it to the RDO/Sub-Collector.
5. If you disagree with an RDO/Sub-Collector decision, you now have a defined appeal route — Joint Collector, then Government — with statutory timelines.

Quick FAQ

Q: Does this G.O. cancel earlier freehold grants?

No — it confirms correctly granted freehold (Sl.No.1) and only holds back the categories with identified irregularities.

Q: Who do I approach for freehold rights now?

The RDO/Sub-Collector of your Revenue Division, for areas outside Municipal Corporations. Within Municipal Corporations, it remains with the Government.

Q: What if my land falls under "no assignment proof available" (2,87,153 acres)?

This is still under examination — separate orders will follow, so registration stays in abeyance for now.

Q: Can Village Service Inam lands be registered?

Yes, if they fall in the Artisan/Service Inam category (barbers, carpenters, blacksmiths, washermen, potters, etc.) — not Religious/Endowment Inams, which remain governed separately under the A.P. Inams Act, 1956.

---

This article is based on G.O.Ms.No.588, Revenue (Lands-I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, dated 15 September 2026. It is intended for general awareness only and is not a substitute for legal advice specific to your land records.