Hyderabad, July 14: HEATED arguments took place between the treasury and opposition benches on ‘regularisation of lands’ in the State Assembly today. The main opposition party, Telugu Desam, charged that various prime lands in the city worth crores of rupees were grabbed by the members of the family of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and others, and demanded that the government place the list of the encroached lands in the House.
Members of the CPI, CPM and BJP staged a walkout, while the PRP, MIM and LSP legislators registered their protest against the government’s ‘failure’ to give proper response on regularisation of the house-sites of the poor. All the parties alleged that the decisions taken by the government were intended to favour the rich and the influential at the cost of the poor.
Raising the issue during the Question Hour, CPM leader J Ranga Reddy demanded an inquiry into alleged `regularisation’ of government lands occupied by rich people and cancellation of relevant orders for the purpose. He criticised the government for rejection of applications submitted by the poor for regularisation of their house-sites measuring up to 80 square yards.
TDP senior member M Narsimhulu alleged that prime lands in the state capital were grabbed by former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and his family members, and other ‘big persons’ in the government. He demanded tabling of the list of encroached lands.
B Satyananda Rao (PRP), Pasha Quadri (MIM), G Mallesh (CPI), G Kishan Reddy (BJP) and Jayaprakash Narayan (LSP) criticised the government for its ‘failure’ to regularise the house-sites of the poor. As many as 77,000 applications of the poor were rejected without proper reasons, they said.
In reply, revenue minister D Prasada Rao assured the House that the government was ready to take action if specific instances of irregularities in respect of regularisation of lands were brought to its notice. Orders issued vide GO Ms No 166 dated February 16, 2008 were very clear on regularisation of ‘unobjectionable’ lands occupied before 2003. Lands measuring upto 80 square yards will be regularised free of cost in the case of people living below poverty line (BPL) while lands measuring above 80 square yards and below 2,000 square yards will be regularised at the rates fixed by the government. Depending on the size of the land action will be taken at an appropriate level-district collector, CCLA or government _ in case of complaints.
The minister said that the government had received 89,313 applications from poor people for regularisation of house-sites. Of those, 6,867 were favourably disposed, 4,710 are pending clearance and 77,736 were rejected for non-fulfilment of conditions specified in the GO. The GO No 166 was purely meant to benefit the poorer sections, he claimed.
—Agencies