HYDERABAD: Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti of the Telangana High Court on Friday expressed displeasure over the chief secretary’s failure to comply with earlier directions regarding the filing of an affidavit on prohibited properties under Section 22A of the Registration Act, 1908.
At the previous hearing, the court had directed the chief secretary to ensure that all district collectors transmit lists of prohibited properties to the respective sub-registrars within nine weeks and to file an affidavit confirming compliance within 10 days, i.e., by September 3.
When the matter came up again, the government pleader submitted a memo dated September 9, outlining steps being taken by the state. The memo stated that, in line with division bench orders dated December 23, 2024, and August 14, 2025, the government had constituted a committee to address grievances of persons affected by notifications under Section 22A.
The CCLA has been instructed to obtain details of prohibited properties from district collectors, the Endowments department, and the Waqf Board in prescribed formats and to consolidate the data for the committee.
However, when questioned on the absence of the affidavit and the chief secretary, the GP sought one more week’s time. The court observed that such conduct reflects poorly on the chief secretary’s office. Nevertheless, Justice Jukanti granted a week’s extension, directing that the affidavit must be filed without fail. He made it clear that no further indulgence would be shown. If the affidavit is not filed by the next hearing, the chief secretary must appear in person.
