Govt plans to distribute 1.3 lakh acres to poor

Seemandhra stir affecting programme: Minister

Hyderabad: State Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy on Sunday said a proposal to distribute 1.3 lakh acre of land to poor was underway which is to be handed over to the identified beneficiaries after normalcy restored in the state.

Speaking to newsmen after all-party meeting on Land Acquisition Bill held at CCLA (Chief Commissioner of Land Administration) office here , the minister said the Congress government committed to continue the land distribution scheme launched in 2004. The volatile political situation prevailing in the state stalled the process with the boycott of duties by Seemandhra employees. The distribution of lands will not take off unless the employees joined their duties, he added.

Stating that the views and opinions expressed by the representatives of parties on the Land Bill in the meeting will be forwarded to Centre , he said to bring in transparency in the maintaining of land records , revenue department taken up digitisation of records and ensure access the information to all top officials in the department.

TDP senior leader K Siva Prasad said that the Bill was not clear on the rehabilitation and resettlement of farmers whose lands are taken for the purpose of non- farming and industrial development. He also demanded government to provide good package for the affected farming community.

CPI State Secretary K Narayana alleged that the Centre brought the Bill to benefit real estate and land mafia. Farmers will lose their livelihoods because the Bill permitted the governments to acquire lands forcefully from farmers. The interests of farmers should be given utmost priority in the Bill, instead, it encouraged to forceful acquirement , he added.