Special courts to deal with land grabbing cases in AP

Vijayawada:The state government introduced five bills in the state assembly on Thursday.The Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, the AP (Andhra Area) Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Medical Practitioners Registration (Amendment) Bill and the Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill were introduced by health minister Satyakumar Yadav.

The Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill was introduced by revenue minister Anagani Satya Prasad. The Electricity Duty (second amendment) Bill was introduced by energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar.

Satya Prasad said the Land Grabbing (Prohibition) law would extend to the whole of the state. “Land grabbing remains a pressing issue, causing hardships to numerous landowners. Rapid urbanization, commercialization and industrialization are the primary reasons for this.”

“Despite the legal safeguards provided by the state by enacting the AP Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 1982, the alarming increase in land grabbing cases causes insecurity to the landowners.”

Anagani Satya Prasad said the state government proposed to bring in stringent laws by repealing the existing Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 1982. “Apart from declaring land grabbing as unlawful, the state government proposes to prohibit land grabbing not only in urban and urbanizable areas but also in rural areas, as the cost of land is soaring due to rapid urbanization.”

Revenue minister Satya Prasad stated, “We would ensure severe penalty for land grabbing and speedy inquiry and trial of such cases by constituting a special court.”

Minister Yadav said the NTR University of Health Sciences (Amendment) Bill, the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Medical Practitioners Registration (Amendment) Bill, and the Andhra Pradesh Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill aimed to amend the law to remove the words "a deaf, mute or a leper" from the highlighted provisions.

Energy minister Ravikumar said the government proposes amendments to the existing Sections 3(1) and 7(1) of the electricity law. “The Electricity Duty (Second Amendment) Act shall be deemed to have come into force with retrospective effect from 26 August 2021.”

He explained that the amendment of Section 3 Act 5 of 1939 is proposed in the Electricity Duty Act, 1939 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in section 3, in sub-section (1). After the words "consumer categories" and before the words "on and in respect of," an amendment is made by inserting words, "which shall not be less than 6 paise (₹0.06) per unit of energy and not be more than 100 paise (1.00 rupees) per unit of energy".