Date:27/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/27/stories/2008012756000300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Progress on irrigation projects good: CPI

Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM: A team of CPI leaders inspected ongoing irrigation projects in Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Karimnagar, Adilabad and Warangal districts last month and found progress in execution, Jalli Wilson, MLC said. However, rehabilitation of families displaced was a casualty, he felt.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said “barring financial irregularities” the contractors stuck to the time schedule. In the case of ‘Bhoo Yagnam”, the progress on land distribution was “poor”, he said and added that the Government distributed title deeds and pattadar passbooks to six lakh acres of land that was already in the hands of farmers. Not a single acre was taken from landlords and distributed among the poor during the four phases of the programme, the MLC said.

He demanded re-survey of endowment, Bhoodan, assigned and other lands.

According to him, at least one crore acres of land was existing and if it were to be distributed about 40.63 lakh poor families would be benefited.

But, the government in the name of SEZs and setting up units allotting the lands at a nominal rate to the rich and filling its coffers, Mr. Wilson said.