Land Pooling Scheme for assigned land-holders in Amaravati
Minister Kishorebabu's wife also purchased assigned lands.
Guntur: At last the assigned land purchasers to get Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) package. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on several occasions announced about the LPS package to only original assigned land owners and it created worries among the assig-ned land purchasers.
There are 2,200 acres of assigned lands in the 29 villages of the Amaravati capital region and there were allegations about purchase of half of the assigned lands by influential persons and TD leaders at nominal prices. Interestingly, minister for social welfare R. Kishore-babu’s wife Santhi Jyoti also purchased assigned land, which reveals the assigned land purchases by TD cadres.
Assigned land farmer B. Kondalu alleged that mentioning the above rule, TD leaders, including CRDA vice-chairman and minister for municipal administration P. Narayana created fear among the assigned farmers forcing them to sell their lands at nominal price of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh per acre according to the area.
He recalled that later Mr Naidu announced about providing LPS package to original assigned farmers which gave hope to them about getting back their lands by paying the amounts to the purchasers. He alleged that the things swiftly changed as the government, falling to the pressure from the TD lobby, announced LPS package to purchasers and termed the process as nothing but cheating of assigned farmers and demanded considering compensation to original assigned title holders.
Guntur joint collector and CRDA additional commissioner Ch. Sridhar said that 696 acres of assigned lands in the Amaravati capital region villages were allotted to beneficiaries in 1956. He said that 346 acres of assigned lands were in the possession of original beneficiary families but rest of 350 acres of assigned lands were sold to others.
He said that CRDA has rights to take the sold assigned lands without any compensation of LPS package. Mr Sridhar said that as the farmers are continuing cultivation in the purchased assigned lands, the government has decided to provide LPS package.