Jagan Government to Give Full Rights to Those Holding Assigned and Lanka Lands

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has decided to grant full rights to beneficiaries of the assignment lands and Lanka lands. A proposal on this was approved at the state Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday. This would benefit 66,111 families possessing 63,191,84 acres of such lands.

The Cabinet meet, chaired by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, discussed over 50 issues including the green signal for construction of 47,000 houses in Amaravati CRDA R-5 Zone, and granted approval to the projects cleared by SIPB. It also gave the nod for legislation to waive the retirement provision for priests and others in shrines.

Addressing a press meet after the Cabinet meeting, BC welfare minister Venugopala Krishna said the Cabinet took several key decisions. As for assigned lands and low-lying lands, it was decided to confer full rights to all original assigned land owners who have kept such lands in their possession for 20 years.
In case of death of original beneficiaries, their legal heirs would get the full rights. This would benefit 66,111 persons who are holding 63,191.84 acres of assigned lands.

The three-and-a-half-hour-long meeting has ratified the investment proposals cleared by the State Investment Promotion Board. It also approved the welfare calendar for July and decided to do Bhoomi Puja on July 24 for the construction of 47,000 houses for the poor in 1,366 acres under the R-5 zone in the CRDA region at an expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore.

The Cabinet permitted construction of burial grounds for SCs in 1966 revenue villages.

It decided to remove Inam lands from the prohibited list of Section 22-A, benefitting 1,13,000 persons, and to waive  loans given to the Dalits to purchase 16,213 acres of land under the Land Purchase Scheme before the state bifurcation. They will now enjoy full rights on those lands.

The Cabinet also decided to fill vacancies in the new and old medical colleges and hospitals. Some 706 posts in the new medical colleges and teaching hospitals, 247 posts in Kurnool cancer hospital and 94 CTBC posts in the 11 existing medical colleges will be filled up.

Another decision was to fill up 128 teaching and 68 non-teaching vacancies in polytechnic colleges and two senior posts in AP Maritime Board.

While enhancing the retirement age of professors in educational institutions like JNTU from 62 to 65, to overcome the “scarcity of teaching staff” and of Endowments Department staff from 60 to 62, the Cabinet also gave its approval for all temple Arachakas to continue in the profession as long as they can work without retirement.

As for the cases filed against those involved in Visakhapatnam land scam, the Cabinet decided to order a fresh probe vis-a-vis 18 registered cases while accepting the reports in 43 cases. The Cabinet has also decided to fill 11 vacancies in the newly created Tadepalligudem revenue division and 13 deputy collector posts elsewhere in the state.

The Cabinet ratified the MoU signed with the US educational agency, ETS, for training students of classes 3 to 10 for TOEFL certification and for extension of the scheme to Intermediate students.

Besides permitting the AP Maritime Board to raise necessary loans to build ports, the Cabinet sanctioned Rs 454 crore towards a Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package to 10,231 Project Affected Families (PAFs) and Project Displaced Families in 22 villages under phase 2 and 3 of the Gandikota Reservoir Project.