Land reforms paving way for economy growth: Dharmana

VIJAYAWADA: The State government is implementing the land reforms for proper utilisation of land and economic development of the State, said Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao here on Sunday.

He said every transaction in revenue administration and the department is digitised and so the employees have to discharge their duties carefully and diligently.

The Revenue Minister participated as the chief guest at the 17th Revenue Services Association State council meeting organised at the Tummalapalli Kalakshetram on Sunday. Several hundred revenue employees from various parts of the State attended the meeting. Addressing the revenue employees, Dharmana said land is very vital for economic activity and pursuing any profession.

He said earlier people mostly depended on agriculture for livelihood but things have changed in recent years and many new professions have emerged and people are depending on different types of professions to eke out livelihood. He said dependency on cultivation is gradually decreasing in recent years.

He said earlier, the previous governments for many decades distributed the government lands to the people for various purposes. But, the YSRCP government not only distributed the government land but also purchased the private lands for the distribution of house site pattas to the poor, the Minister pointed out.

He said the government has distributed 30 lakh house site pattas to the people in the State and it was possible due to the co-operation of the revenue staff.

He recalled that the previous governments used to take lands from kings, zamindars and from other sources and distributed to the poor people.

He said the revenue department has introduced various reforms but there is no criticism about the reforms and its implementation. He assured the revenue employees that he would take their problems to the notice of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said he has been associated with the revenue department for nearly two decades and he held the portfolio of Revenue Department for a long period.

He said local leaders and people’s representatives exert a lot of pressure on revenue staff but the employees have to act cleverly and carefully while discharging their duties as they will be held responsible for the decisions taken by them.

He suggested to the revenue employees to do internal audit and ensure that no remarks are made against the department or staff for the decisions taken by the department.

Earlier, the AP Revenue Services Association president Bopparaju Venkateswarlu explained the demands of the revenue employees and sought the co-operation of the Revenue Minister and the government to address their long pending problems.

NTR District Collector S Dilli Rao, deputy collectors, AP Revenue services association leaders, APJAC Amaravati leaders and several hundred revenue department officials and employees attended the State council meeting. The newly-elected governing body members took oath at the meeting at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram.