The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Opposition warns Government

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Monday, Mar 03, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Opposition warns Government

Cutting across party lines, leaders term auction of lands as ‘irresponsible’

- Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Camaraderie: Opposition leaders staging a sit-in against auction of Government lands, in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: In a significant development, the major Opposition parties, including the TDP and the Left, came on a single platform on Sunday and urged the administration to stop auction of Government lands. The parties warned of strong resistance if the Government ignores their protest and goes ahead with land sales.

In a declaration adopted at a dharna at Bapu Ghat, leaders of the parties appealed that nobody should buy such lands. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu said the auctioned lands will be taken back if the TDP returns to power. Leaders of the BJP, TRS, Lok Satta and Samajwadi Party took part.

The declaration termed “irresponsible”, the “indiscriminate” selling of Government lands while not meeting the housing needs of the poor and taking into account future requirements for public purposes.

Urging the Government to act stringently in preventing land grabbing, the leaders resented “loot of public properties”.

Addressing the participants, Mr. Naidu declared that the Opposition leaders would fight unitedly to prevent auction of Government lands. “The lands cannot be sold till the poor and the middle classes get house-sites,” he said.

CPI(M) leader Y.V. Rao criticised the Government for selling lands at “throw away” prices to MNCs and the rich. He accused Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy of displaying dictatorial tendencies.

State BJP president B. Dattatreya accused the Government of becoming a real estate developer and called for intensifying the agitation.

CPI State secretary K. Narayana urged the parties to protect Government lands which are being sold and encroached. The fight will continue, irrespective of party affiliations, till the poor get land, he said.

V. Prakash, TRS general secretary, said all parties should take a pledge that if any one of them comes to power they will allot lands only on lease to industries.

Lok Satta Party president Jayapraksh Narayan said that maps identifying Government/private lands should be prepared.

Lands which were encroached by “anti-socials” on the city outskirts should be resumed, he said.

T. Devender Goud, K. Harishwar Reddy, Ch. Rajeshwar Rao, MLAs, Chukka Ramayya, K. Nageswar, MLCs, Syed Vicaruddin, Editor, Rehanuma-e-Deccan, also spoke.

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