Soon, good news on podu land issues, says Ponguleti

Kothagudem: Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that a solution to the long-pending Podu land issues faced by tribal and other communities dependent on shifting cultivation in district would be announced soon. Addressing an extended meeting of Congress party workers of Lakshmidevipalli mandal at Regalla village here on Sunday, the Minister said the government was committed to resolving the problems of people who had been depending on Podu cultivation for generations.

He said some issues relating to forest lands fell under the purview of the Centre and assured that he would hold discussions with the Union government and make efforts to resolve them.

Ponguleti said the Congress government had been implementing several welfare and development programmes during its 33-month tenure, including farm loan waivers, Rythu Bharosa, a Rs 500 bonus per quintal of paddy, free bus travel for women, free electricity up to 200 units for poor households and recruitment notifications for government jobs.

He criticised the previous BRS government, alleging that it had neglected the poor and unemployed. He also alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram project.

The Minister said he would make efforts to ensure the comprehensive development of Bhadradri Kothagudem district, besides Khammam, and assured that funds would be allocated to all villages for improving basic infrastructure.

He said Indiramma houses would be sanctioned in the third phase and, if necessary, in a fourth phase as well, with priority being given to eligible poor people irrespective of political affiliations.

Referring to housing initiatives in Hyderabad, he said poor families were being provided apartments in areas close to their workplaces, including locations where land was expensive.

With the Khammam-Nalgonda-Warangal Graduate MLC election approaching, Ponguleti called upon Congress workers to accelerate the registration of graduate voters. He asked party workers to form teams and undertake an extensive voter-registration drive at the village and mandal levels.

Bhadrachalam MLA Tellam Venkat Rao, Congress district president Devi Prasanna, senior leaders Naga Seetharamulu, Alla Murali and Gopal Rao, mandal president Prasad, along with several public representatives and party leaders, participated in the meeting.

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