Date:27/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/01/27/stories/2005012701461300.htm

Back AP Govt distributes 1.55 lakh acres of land

K.V. Kurmanath

This is for the first time that 1.55 lakh acres were distributed on a single day. Distribution of land to Dalits and weaker sections was a major demand put forward by naxalites.

Kodangal (Mahboobnagar), Jan. 26

THE State Government has distributed 1.55 lakh acres to 1.12 lakh beneficiaries on a single day today.

A large chunk of beneficiaries were women belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Launching the programme at Kodangal in Mahboobnagar district on Wednesday, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said,"In the last 56 years, 1.5 crore acres was distributed in the country. This is for the first time that 1.55 lakh acres were distributed on a single day."

Distribution of land to Dalits and weaker sections was a major demand put forward by naxalites in the first round of talks with the Government. They demanded that the Government distribute 1.30 crore acres to the poor as against 1.55 lakh acres distributed on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister distributed land documents to 65 of the 4,691 beneficiaries in the district.

Backing his Government move to provide land in the name of women, he said the idea was to empower them.

The Government would spend Rs 500 crore on developing the land given to the poor. Each acre would get an amount in the range of Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000.

While the Chief Minister distributed land to the beneficiaries from all the 13 Assembly constituencies in the district, respective legislators would distribute the pattas in their constituencies.

Announcing sops for the drought-hit Mahboobnagar district, he said the Government would spend Rs 6,000 crore on irrigation projects in the next four years.

"With a view to improving irrigation facilities and provide water to 10,000 lakh acres, we will take up RDS (Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme), Kalwakurthy-Bhima and other irrigation schemes," he said.

Tenders had already been called for the Rs 1,300-crore Kalwakurthy-Bhima project.

Stating that he would strive to bring in `Indiramma Rajyam', he said his Government would construct 40 lakh houses in five years. "There won't be a poor family which doesn't have a house," he said.

Criticising the erstwhile Telugu Desam Government for making tall claims in women's development, He said assistance to DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) groups had been increased to Rs 1 crore a mandal from Rs 20 lakh.