CPM terms land pooling illegal

Visakhapatnam: Terming the land-pooling system as illegal, the CPM demanded that the state government scrap the idea of land pooling in the city as it failed to convince the farmers to give up their lands. 

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, CPM senior leader Ch Narasinga Rao said the district administration has planned to acquire 1,570 acres of  D-Patta lands at Tri-Junction covering Paravada, Gajuwaka and Sabbavaram mandals and 150 acres in Pardesipalem and Kommadi under the GO No 268 and the GO No 269.

He pointed out that the efforts of the revenue officials to convince the farmers have completely failed. Three IAS officers have been deputed to visit the villages and convince the people but in vain.

In the Tri-Junction, 783 farmers cultivating the lands, but the officials could get the approval of only from 83 farmers who gave acceptance letters. Most of these willing farmers are entangled in legal disputes over the rights of the land. Earlier, Congress had failed and now TDP government for the last four years has been trying to take away the lands from the farmers but all their efforts were thwarted, Rao added.

He said the land-pooling system itself has proved to be faulty as the district administration has failed to give an inch of developed land, as promised,  to the displaced in Ozone Valley, Gandigundam in Anandapuram mandal and Mudapaka village in Pendurthi mandal. 

The administration never offered money in lieu of the land. The process had failed in Tri-Junction because the administration offered only 250 square yards per acre, he informed. Since the last three months, local MLA and revenue officials have been threatening the farmers that their lands would be forcibly taken if they did not give up voluntarily, Rao said.