CPM demands judicial probe into land scam

Reclaim encroached land and redistribute among economically disadvantaged people
CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao has called upon the State government to take action regarding assigned lands that have been unlawfully occupied by various individuals. He has demanded that these lands be reclaimed and redistributed to benefit economically disadvantaged citizens. Furthermore, Rao has specifically requested the government to revoke the Assigned Land Amendment GO 596. Also, Rao demanded a judicial inquiry into the land scam involving thousands of acres in the State.
At a press conference held at the Makineni Basavapunnaiah Vignana Kendra (MBVK) on Tuesday, Srinivasa, along with party secretariat member Manthena Sitaram, spoke about CM Chandrababu Naidu’s recent White Paper.
Srinivasa Rao said that as per the government’s White Paper, around 1.75 lakh acres of land had been encroached in the State. Thousands of acres were purchased by landlords at cheaper costs and later, they made registrations as per GO No.596 in the 2023-24 financial year. The government should cancel these illegal registrations and roll back those lands for conducting redistribution to the original beneficiaries, he added.
“Besides, 2,500 acres of tribal lands and small farmers’ lands were allotted to the Adani Group in the name of the pumped Hydel Projects and Data Centre. In the past 10 years, 2.25 lakh acres were allotted to business tycoons in the name of SEZ and Industrial Corridors. However, no industry has been established so far and no one got employment,” he pointed out. “Vanpic lands in Guntur, Prakasam and Bapatal districts, Knowledge lands in Satya Sai district, and thousands of acres in Visakhapatnam district were allotted to big shots,” he said.
Srinivasa Rao demanded that the government take back these lands and redistribute them to the poor and genuine beneficiaries. “The government should give exemptions to poor farmers who possess 2.5 acres of agricultural land and five acres of upland,” he requested.
He stated that the Gujarat model Land Grabbing Act is not suitable for the State. Gujarat rythus brought their lands back which were allotted to the Ambani Group after fighting against the government.
Srinivasa Rao also said that the free crop insurance scheme should be implemented in the State. Also, the government should withdraw the move to install smart metres for the agricultural bore wells, he added.