Unfazed by Warangal setback, TS govt keen on LPS in district headquarters

Hyderabad: Despite the stiff resistance from landowners and farmers to the state government’s recent attempts for implementation of the land pooling scheme (LPS) in major towns, the revenue department has stepped up efforts to identify land parcels along highways and roads for implementing LPS in all major mandal and district headquarters. The government is keen on boosting revenues in the next two years so that it can overcome fund crunch and continue with its welfare schemes and development programmes.

With the Centre imposing restrictions on borrowings by states, the state government views LPS as a better alternative for mobilising funds.

The state government was forced to withdraw LPS notification in Warangal on Wednesday after it evoked sharp protests from landowners and farmers, who refused to give away their lands.

Notwithstanding the protests, the state government has instructed all district collectors to identify suitable land parcels, especially along highways and roads, which command huge real estate value, and submit a report by the month-end, to enable the government to launch LPS in major mandal and district headquarters.

Official sources said that the instructions were sent to the district collectors from the office of the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA).

Following protests from private land owners, collectors have been asked to identify government lands, assigned lands, and other such lands that are suitable for realty ventures. They have also been asked to look for private lands wherever government lands were not available along highways and roads.

Sources added that collectors conveyed to the state government that it would be difficult to convince owners and farmers of private lands unless the government comes out with a clear LPS policy.

They pointed out that there was no uniformity in the present scheme as it offers variable benefits to landowners citing that one LPS offers 60:40 share of developed land between government and land owners while another offers 70:30. They said that a majority of land owners were demanding 50:50 share in developed ventures under LPS.

Some collectors have reportedly identified 500 acres of government land in the undivided Mahbubnagar district abutting Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway, 400 acres in Medchal-Malkajgiri district abutting NH-44 and 500 acres in Rangareddy and Vikarabad districts.

However, most of these are assigned lands, which were found to be in the possession of farmers, who are reluctant to hand them over to the government.