In Telangana, thousands of farmers struggle to get legal ownership of their land bought decades ago through ‘Sada Bainama’—an unregistered land agreement common in the 1980s. Maruthaiah, a 70-year-old farmer near Peddapalli town, is stuck waiting for a title deed on 22 guntas of land inherited from his father. Revenue officials demand an affidavit from the original seller or their legal heirs to regularise ownership. Many sellers died or migrated, making this impossible. This affidavit requirement has become the biggest hurdle for small and medium farmers statewide. For years, farmers have cultivated lands recognized in official records but are denied ownership. Farmer leader Kanneganti Ravi calls the rule “illogical,” insisting that continuous land possession and field inspections should prove ownership. The issue spans regions including Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad, and Warangal districts. While officials claim progress, farmers report delays, favoritism, and corruption. Villages merged into urban bodies face extra hurdles as officials say regularisation is not allowed, and registration fees are high. The legal struggle roots back to Sada Bainama sales, popular during the Nizam era for informal land deals. Though Telangana laws tried two phases of regularisation with over 12 lakh applications submitted, many were rejected or stuck due to verification and affidavit problems. The Telangana High Court lifted a stay last year on the process and new rules allow verification through inspections and neighbour statements, but still insist on affidavits. Experts and farmer leaders urge the government to simplify rules and rely on local inquiries rather than affidavits alone. There are calls to follow Andhra Pradesh’s example to extend deadlines and organise resurvey. Meanwhile, Telangana officials say they will hold high-level meetings and consider Gram Sabha meetings to resolve affidavit issues. The struggle continues for farmers trapped by paperwork while cultivating land for decades without clear ownership—a challenge delaying loans, welfare benefits, and legal security.