The YSR Congress has questioned the legitimacy of land pooling system proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government for acquiring land required for the construction of a new capital of the State.
Political Affairs Committee member of the party Ummareddy Venkateswarlu said on Sunday that the Centre had already enacted a comprehensive law on land acquisition and as per that Act approval of about 70 per cent farmers/people holding the identified land was must for its takeover.
The 70 per cent criteria was for the land acquired by the government and in case of private parties approval of 80 per cent farmers was necessary, he said.
He sought to know what kind of law was applicable to the land acquisition process being proposed by the government and what was the policy finalised for land pooling as nothing had come out officially so far. Stating that there was no example of new capitals being constructed in one-lakh acres including in three States formed in 2000, the YSRC leader said the experts and leaders of other parties were of the opinion that only 2,000 to 3,000 acres was sufficient for the purpose.
Mr. Venkateswarlu alleged that the government had ignored the suggestion of Sivaramakrishnan Committee against going for fertile agricultural lands and said it was also silent on the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s talk of about availability of 25,000 acres of government land in VGTM area.
On the government plans to acquire about 30,000 acres in Talluru mandal in Amaravathi area the YSRC leader said farmers’ opposition in villages around Talluru had become a daily affair now, though TDP leaders, Ministers and legislators tried to create an impression in the beginning that everybody was willing to part with their land by visiting a couple of villages supporting the land acquisition.
Even Ministers were being questioned now during their visits to villages and majority of farmers were pleading against their displacement even as some farmers owing allegiance to TDP were giving their approval for land acquisition. He suggested the government either to convince the farmers or to look for alternative land.
