Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy on Sunday categorically stated that the State government was not contemplating to acquire land forcibly and was trying to pool the land from those farmers who come forward voluntarily.
Addressing the media here, Mr. Krishnamurthy, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, said he had suggested to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu not to put farmers under pressure in the process of land pooling and instead, ensure that over 13,000 farmers around Tullur mandal where the capital region was proposed, parted with their lands satisfactorily.
“The opposition parties including the Left are asking about why 30,000 acres is needed to build a capital. But it is proposed to develop the capital with three inner circles, ring roads and high rise buildings to accommodate various offices,” he added. He said the land pooling process was likely to be completed by 2016.
The Chief Minister had asked him to lead the Cabinet Sub-Committee on land pooling. But he refused the offer as he did not want to hurt the feelings of people of his native Kurnool, who were insisting that it be made the capital. “Any committee on land or revenue of the State, I have to sign every file which comes from all departments,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr. Krishnamurthy said he asked all the registration officials, including those in Krishna district, where capital would come up, not to stop any land registration.
The Deputy Chief Minister said his department had fixed a target of Rs. 3,404 crore for the current year against which 70 per cent was achieved by October. He said the department was in the process of simplifying the registration procedure, bringing all transactions online.
