The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Raghuveera suggests tax on vacant farm land

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Monday, Feb 09, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Raghuveera suggests tax on vacant farm land

Says it is his personal view and not a policy decision

- PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Village bound: Ministers N. Raghuveera Reddy and P. Sabita Indra Reddy at the launch of Pavala Vaddi scheme in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy has favoured levy of tax on agricultural lands left without cultivation by their respective owners.

“We are imposing tax on commercial and other lands, but there is no tax on agricultural lands lying vacant,” he said. He hastened to add that tax on unused agricultural land was his personal view and not a policy decision by the Government.

Mr. Reddy who formally launched the Pavala Vaddi (loans at three per cent a year interest) for farmers here on Sunday said farm lands lying vacant had an adverse impact on productivity and imposition of tax on them would enable helping other eligible sections. He found no fault with allotment of land to industry as children of farmers would prefer other jobs to agriculture.

Mechanisation

Referring to farmers’ issues, the Minister acknowledged that agriculturists were facing problems on account of labour as people who completed their 10th or 12th standard education were not favouring “hard labour” due to various reasons. The Government had, therefore, decided to promote mechanisation by providing subsidies on farm equipment like paddy sowing and harvesting machines and cane cutting machines.

He took strong objection to Telugu Desam’s criticism of the schemes launched by the Congress Government claiming the previous regime that “grossly neglected” farm sector was trying to “hoodwink” farmers as elections were round the corner. “Farmers are, however, aware of the turn around that the sector has made under the Congress Government and will not dare to replace it,” he averred. He later distributed cheques to farmers selected under the Pavala Vaddi scheme.

Mines and Geology Minister Sabita Indra Reddy appealed to farmers to bring the Congress to power again in view of the thrust it had laid on giving “respectability” to farmers.

Ranga Reddy Collector Dana Kishore presided over the function.

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