AP G.O.Ms.No.445 (2026): New Notice & Hearing Rules Before 22-A Prohibited List

G.O.Ms.No.445, dated 23-07-2026, issued by the Revenue (Lands-I) Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, lays down one common procedure that officers must follow before (i) adding any property to the List of Prohibited Properties under Section 22-A of the Registration Act, 1908, and (ii) making any change in the revenue records that adversely affects a recorded landholder. The order requires prior notice, a hearing, a speaking order with reasons, independent verification and a tamper-proof record of which officer did what.

In short: no notice, no hearing and no reasoned order means no 22-A entry and no adverse mutation. If you own land in Andhra Pradesh, this order gives you a clear right to be heard before your property is frozen or your name is removed from the records.

Contents (click to jump)

1. Why the Government issued this order
2. What the order covers
3. Five principles behind the procedure
4. The unified eight-step procedure
5. The Step 2 test: what the officer must prove
6. What documents help you at the hearing
7. Protections built into the system
8. Consequences for officers
9. Emergency 22-A inclusion
10. Clause (e) inclusions: the gazette route
11. Your right of review
12. Implementation
13. Practical tips for landowners
14. Frequently asked questions

Why the Government issued this order

Two records decide whether a citizen can hold and deal with land: the 22-A Prohibited Properties list maintained through the Inspector-General of Registration and Stamps (IGRS), and the record of rights (pattadar / ownership / occupation entries and Webland) maintained under the A.P. Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books Act, 1971. The Government noted two problems:

• Wrongful 22-A inclusion. Properties were added without prior notice to owners, often on the strength of legacy records such as the RSR, without regard to the many changes in revenue records over the decades. Private patta lands were included by mistake.
• Adverse changes in ownership records. Mutation, transfer of registry, or substitution or deletion of a recorded holder happened without notice or hearing, and in several cases on forged or unverified documents such as fabricated death certificates and legal-heir certificates.

In both situations the burden of undoing the damage fell entirely on the affected citizen. The order aims to reverse that, without weakening the State's power to protect genuine public land or to record genuine transfers.

What the order covers

The procedure applies to every proposed "Covered Action", meaning:

• Inclusion of a property in the 22-A list under clauses (a) to (d) of Section 22-A(1). Clause (e) follows a separate gazette route (explained below).
• Ownership or other changes: any change in recorded ownership or title that adversely affects a recorded right holder, including mutation, transfer of registry, substitution, addition or deletion of a pattadar or owner, and the matching Webland entry.

A change "adversely affects" a right holder if it extinguishes, reduces, encumbers or transfers to someone else the ownership or title recorded in that person's name. Changes to classification, extent or sub-division are also covered.

Five principles behind the procedure

1. A quasi-judicial act, not a clerical entry. Notice, hearing and reasons are compulsory.
2. The burden is on the State. The authority must show the basis for the inclusion or change. The citizen does not have to prove a negative. For inclusions, the State's title must be presupposed (following Vinjamuri Rajagopala Chary). For ownership changes, there must be valid, verified evidence of transfer or devolution.
3. Every action is attributable to an identifiable officer, built into the software so nothing is anonymous.
4. Maker and checker. No single officer can complete the action. A higher-ranking Verifying Officer, ideally from a different reporting chain, must review it.
5. Verify the source, not just the applicant. Death certificates, legal-heir certificates, decrees and deeds must be confirmed with the issuing authority before the action proceeds. This targets forged-document frauds.

The unified eight-step procedure

1Originator's preliminary file. The RDO (for 22-A inclusions under clauses a to d) or the Tahsildar (for ownership changes) opens a numbered Case File with a unique state-wide File ID. It records the survey number, extent, boundaries, current recorded owner, the proposed action, page-referenced evidence, and the originator's name and digital signature. The system will not move the file forward until these are filled in.

2Evidentiary-basis test. The originator must answer a fixed written questionnaire with document references. Two versions exist, one for inclusions and one for ownership changes (details below).

3Extent and sub-division check. If the State's interest covers only part of a survey number, the land must first be sub-divided through the Surveyor, and only the disputed sub-division is carried forward. The rest stays free for registration. For ownership changes, the extent is fixed through the Surveyor before any notice is issued, so the holder's right over untouched land is not disturbed.

4Show-cause notice (Form A). The notice goes to the affected owner through three channels at once: registered post, SMS/email carrying a link to the notice on the portal, and physical posting on the property plus reading out at the Gram Sabha or ward committee. At least two channels must show verifiable delivery before the file moves on. The citizen gets 30 days to object, counted from the later of the two verified deliveries, and may inspect the whole Case File free of charge and get certified copies.

5Hearing. Typically within 14 days after the objection period. The proposal and documents are read out in a language the citizen understands. The hearing is recorded, at minimum as a signed record and ideally as audio. If the citizen was properly served but does not appear, the officer decides on the available material.

6Speaking order (Form B). Within 21 days of the hearing, the officer must pass a written reasoned order that deals with each objection individually, applies the Step 2 test, and, for ownership changes, records an express finding on whether the source documents were verified as genuine. "Reserve for later decision" is not allowed. An automated check flags orders that are too short, do not answer objections paragraph by paragraph, or are more than 70% similar to other orders that month.

7Verification by a higher officer. The Verifying Officer must record a written note within 15 working days, and can pass, send back, or modify the action on the merits.

8Record update with full attribution. Only after a pass does the system enter the change in the live Prohibited Properties register or in the revenue record and Webland. The entry carries mandatory metadata, including File ID, extent, date, officer names, and links to the order and verification note. Entries missing any of it cannot be created.

Who originates and who verifies

Nature of action	Originator	Verifying Officer	Reporting chain
22-A inclusion, rural	RDO	District Revenue Officer	Joint Collector
22-A inclusion, urban	Joint Collector	District Collector	CCLA
Ownership / title change (mutation, transfer, substitution)	Tahsildar	RDO / Sub-Collector	Joint Collector

The Step 2 test: what the officer must prove

For 22-A inclusions (title pre-supposition test)

The officer must answer six fixed questions: whether there is an instrument establishing positive title of the State or institution; whether it applies specifically to this survey number or is only inferred from location or classification; whether the State was ever in possession; whether any earlier order or judgment examined the State's interest; whether the interest covers the whole survey number or only a portion; and whether RSR, AWD or classification entries are backed by an independent record.

Important: if questions 1, 2 and 6 are not answered affirmatively with specific documents, the proposal is closed and the property is not entered on the list.

For ownership / title changes (evidentiary-basis test)

The officer must show a valid instrument for the transfer or devolution (registered deed, certified legal-heir certificate, court decree or statutory order); that it names this holder and this survey number; that the source documents have been verified as genuine with the issuing authority and the verification is on file; whose right is being reduced and who benefits; whether any competing claim, injunction or dispute exists; and whether adangal, Webland or RSR entries are backed by an independent registered or statutory record.

Important: if questions 1, 2 and 3 are not affirmative with documents, the proposed change is dropped and the existing record stands. An officer cannot act on a forged certificate without first failing question 3.

What documents help you at the hearing

If you produce any one of the accepted proofs, the burden shifts to the officer to justify the action.

• Against a 22-A inclusion: Adangal / Pahani, Settlement Fair Adangal, Old Assignment Register, D-form patta, Record of Holdings, registered title deed, resurvey records, or a court order.
• Against an ownership change: pattadar pass book or record of rights, registered title deed, succession evidence, or a court order.

Protections built into the system

• Digital chain of custody. Every file opening, document upload (with a hash to detect tampering), metadata edit and system action is logged. The order makes use of the blockchain already available in Webland mandatory for this.
• Public Process Register. Every action in Steps 1 to 7 appears on the portal in citizen-readable form, searchable by survey number, village, mandal or district, so a citizen whose notice failed to reach them, or a neighbour, can learn of it in time to object. Officer names and objection contents are not shown publicly.
• Officer dashboards and audits. Officers are tracked on files handled, outcomes and timings. The CCLA audits a random sample of Case Files every year, including field visits, and publishes the results.
• Record retention. Case Files stay accessible for the life of the action plus 12 years after removal, or 30 years from the date of action if not removed.

Consequences for officers

Category	Example	Consequence
A: technical, curable	Missing cross-reference, gap in delivery log	File returned for correction; no action against officer
B: substantive procedural failure	Proceeding without two-of-three service, formulaic order, skipping sub-division	Recorded against the officer; repeated cases attract departmental review
C: bad faith	Acting on a document known to be forged, suppressing an objection, changing ownership without notice to defeat a rightholder	Major penalty disciplinary action, plus reversal of the action

Officers who follow the procedure, record reasons and act on the material genuinely available are protected. A decision set aside on merits, by itself, does not attract adverse consequences.

Emergency 22-A inclusion

Where there is documented evidence of imminent fraudulent alienation of public land (for example, a forged sale deed in advanced preparation), an emergency inclusion is possible, but only if all of these are recorded in writing: specific evidence with its source, confirmation that the title pre-supposition test is met, approval of the Joint Collector, and notification to the CCLA within 48 hours. It lasts at most 60 days, with no extension, and lapses automatically unless the full procedure is completed. The regular notice process starts immediately. Ownership or title changes are not eligible for the emergency route and must always follow the full procedure.

Clause (e) inclusions: the gazette route

Clause (e) of Section 22-A(1) works on a class of properties or documents, not individual parcels, and needs gazette notification under sub-section (2). The order says that using clause (e) to flag individual parcels is itself a defect. Before issue, the proposed notification must be published for 30 days of public consultation on the portal and in two prominent newspapers (one Telugu, one English), and referred to the CCLA for a report. Citizens keep the right to seek de-notification under sub-section (4).

Your right of review

If the order confirms the action, the citizen may apply to the District Committee for review within 30 days of receiving the order. The right to approach the Hon'ble High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution is not affected.

Implementation

The order provides for phased rollout. In the first three months, the IGRSAP / Webland system is to be configured with the unified File ID, attribution locks, both Step 2 questionnaires, the source-document verification field, Forms A and B, delivery logging, the automated order check and the chain of custody, and RDOs, Tahsildars and Verifying Officers are to be trained.

Practical tips for landowners

• Keep your pattadar pass book, title deed, adangal / pahani and D-form patta copies safe. Any one of them can shift the burden to the officer.
• Keep your address and Aadhaar-seeded mobile number updated in the records, since notice goes to the address in the record of rights and to that mobile number.
• Check the Public Process Register on the portal for your survey number and village from time to time.
• If you receive a Form A notice, note the 30-day objection window, inspect the Case File, and file written objections with documents.
• Attend the hearing yourself or through a representative, and ask for the reasoned order.
• If the outcome goes against you, apply for review within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Does G.O.Ms.No.445 apply to every mutation?

It applies to changes that adversely affect a recorded right holder, such as removing, substituting or reducing a recorded owner's title (mutation, transfer of registry, substitution, addition or deletion of a pattadar), and to changes in classification, extent or sub-division.

Can my property be added to the 22-A prohibited list without notice?

Not under this order. The only exception is the emergency route, which needs Joint Collector approval, lasts at most 60 days with no extension, and still requires the full notice process to run alongside.

How much time do I get to file objections?

The show-cause notice (Form A) gives 30 days to object. The period runs from the later of the two verified deliveries of the notice.

What if the notice does not reach me?

The file cannot proceed unless at least two of the three delivery channels (registered post, SMS/email, physical posting and publication) are verifiably acknowledged. If the citizen is untraceable, the file is marked for special handling and referred to the District Committee for directions.

Can a mutation be made on the basis of a death certificate alone?

No. The genuineness of death certificates and legal-heir certificates must be confirmed in writing with the issuing authority, and that confirmation must be on the Case File before the change can proceed.

Must I attend the hearing?

You may appear in person or through a representative, produce documents and examine the file. If you were properly served but do not appear, the officer decides on the available material. You can later apply for correction, but cannot reopen the case solely on the ground of absence.

Who checks a Tahsildar's ownership change?

A Verifying Officer of higher rank, the RDO / Sub-Collector, who reports to the Joint Collector, must independently review the file and record a verification note within 15 working days before the change takes effect.

What is the Public Process Register?

It is a portal register showing every Covered Action in progress (Steps 1 to 7) in citizen-readable form, searchable by survey number, village, mandal or district. Officer names and the content of objections are not shown publicly.

What can I do if the order goes against me?

If the action is confirmed, you can apply to the District Committee for review within 30 days of receiving the order. Your right to approach the Hon'ble High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution is not affected.

Disclaimer: This post is a simplified explanation of G.O.Ms.No.445 dated 23-07-2026 for general information. It is not legal advice. Please read the official order and consult a qualified advocate or the concerned revenue office for your specific case.