Wait of 22k farmers just got longer

​Vijayawada: The allotment of plots to farmers who offered lands for development of Amaravati capital under land pooling scheme is going to be delayed by another ten days. The government plans to allot plots from June 20.

It may be noted that Minister for Municipal Administration P Narayana announced that the plots would be allotted to farmers from June 10. Since the officials are yet to finalise the criteria for allotment of plots the government deferred the exercise to June 20.

More than 20,000 farmers offered lands under land pooling scheme for capital development more than a year ago and waiting anxiously for allotment of plots. The farmers staged protests at CRDA office over delay in allotment of plots, some time ago. Earlier, the government promised allotment of plots in December last year and again postponed to April and May 10.

Speaking to media persons at CM camp office here on Friday Minister P Narayana said that the government is planning to distribute plots to farmers from June 20. He said the registrations in capital region were put on hold for a period of one month as it would be difficult for the officials to identify the real beneficiaries if the registrations continued in the capital region.

The allotment of plots delayed as the farmers didn’t come forward to submit options for basis of allotment whether as a single plot or combined plot for a group of two or more farmers. The government extended time till May 25 asking the farmers to submit their options for allotment of plots. Only 6,000 farmers submitted options against total 22,000 farmers’ for allotment of plots.

Majority of the farmers preferred allotment of plots near their existing villages. The farmers fearing allotment of plots far away from their villages, started mounting pressure on the CRDA officials. An uncertainty mood prevailed over allotment of plots in all the 29 villages of capital region despite repeated clarification from Ministers and officials.