Date:25/11/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/11/25/stories/2004112502720500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Poor to get land on Republic Day

By Our Special Correspondent

ONGOLE, NOV. 24. The Revenue Minister, Dharmana Prasada Rao, has said that the Revenue Department has been geared up to distribute one lakh acres of land among landless poor in the State on January 26. All-party committees have been formed at district level to monitor the land distribution programme.

Addressing a review meeting here today, the Minister asked revenue officials to constitute assignment committees at constituency level immediately, identify banjar land for distribution and select beneficiaries in a transparent manner. Saying that the Government had proposed to provide online information about the land distribution scheme, he asked officials to take abundant caution in selection of land and beneficiaries.

`Avoid past mistakes'

He asked officials to take the programme seriously and prevent past mistakes. He pointed out that officials had distributed pattas but failed to give possession of land to beneficiaries in several cases earlier. He admitted that the land distributed among SCs and STs was taken away or purchased by upper caste people by taking advantage of some lacunae in the Prevention of Transfer order. He said all such transactions would be declared null and void as per the existing law. He told officials to identify such cases and retrieve the land and give wide publicity to instil fear among land grabbers and prevent such transfers in future.

Mr. Prasada Rao advised officials to mould themselves according to the style of the new Government which did not believe in day-to-day monitoring of all activities and issue instructions from Hyderabad. It would also not incite people against officials to gain political advantage. There was no need for officials to furnish wrong figures to impress the Government.