The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : CM launches land distribution

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 27, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

CM launches land distribution

By Our Special Correspondent

KODANGAL, JAN. 26. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, today launched a massive programme to distribute 1.5 lakh acres to the poor in this town of backward Mahabubnagar district.

Formally kick-starting the programme by distributing land documents to 65 of the 4,691 beneficiaries, Dr. Reddy said such a huge land distribution programme had been taken up since the country attained independence. While about 1.5 crore acres had been distributed so far in the country, land to the extent of 1.5 lakh acres to 1.12 lakh beneficiaries was being given in one go throughout the State.

Although it was originally planned to distribute one lakh acres, 1.5 lakh acres was being distributed as the official machinery worked overtime in identifying the land. Unlike the previous Telugu Desam regime, which, he said, just made promises, his Government was implementing them by ushering in Indiramma "rajyam."

The Government was not merely providing land, but also economic assistance for its development and Rs. 500 crores would be spent for this purpose. Amounts ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 per acre would be spent for developing the land. Simultaneously, measures were being taken to provide irrigation facilities and Rs. 6,000 crores would be spent in the next three to four years to bring 10 lakh acres under irrigation in Mahabubnagar district alone. While work on the Kalwakurthy and Bhima lift irrigation projects would begin next week, that of the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, Koilsagar and Nettampadu next month.

Asserting that every programme initiated by his Government was aimed at benefiting the poor, it was planned to build 40 lakh houses in the next five years. He said loan to DWCRA groups was enhanced from Rs. 20 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore in each mandal.

Land to the extent of 155,217 acres was being distributed today in 294 constituencies.

Its break-up (in acres) is: Government land 127,852, ceiling surplus land 9,076 acres, Inam land 7,279 acres and other categories 10,315 acres. The number of beneficiaries is 112, 290. Of them are SCs 36,182, STs 25,360, minorities 1,568, BCs 36,088 and others 13,014. The documents given to the beneficiaries include pattadar passbooks, title deeds, a sanction letter of financial assistance for development of the land, a letter written by the Chief Minister to the beneficiaries and rough sketch of the land.

The Revenue Minister, Dharmana Prasada Rao, said 50 per cent of the beneficiaries were the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Of the 1.5 lakh acres women were given 1.3 lakh acres.

When Dr. Reddy began his speech, Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi activists raised slogans. He told them that the Assembly had already passed a resolution calling upon the Centre to pass legislation on the categorisation of the Scheduled Castes. D. Vittal Rao, MP, and the Kodangal MLA, R. Gurunath Reddy, spoke.

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