Farmers angry over delay in clearing lands from dotted category

Nellore: Deleting lands from the prohibited list (22-A) had turned out to be a herculean job for the farmers as they were facing difficult situation with the process.

Farmers say though the administration had received 10,900 applications for clearing the lands from dotted category only 120 have so far been accepted. Thanks to the administration which has been setting its own guidelines for considering the cases though a GO has been issued. 

The state government made an Act 10 in 2017 and subsequently released GO 298. Further, released circular 574 for clearing such cases verifying antecedents of the recent 12 years with the help of documents mentioned in the Act.

GO 575 also revealed the fact that lands assigned before 1954 should be considered. Still, there has been no action on the applications received from the farmers of such prohibited lands.

State Secretary of CIFA Ch Kotireddy said that the District Collector is not willing to scrutiny all applications submitted for consideration as they were busy with preparation of CJFS land pattas and are now not willing to consider the applications.

“The Collector is not willing to clear lands from the dotted category based on GO 575 by verifying records of assignment done before 1954. They are also not willing to adopt decision of Kurnool administration where they had followed decisions of the Grama Sabhas,” said Kotireddy. 

The application process was also having clumsy activity where the farmer has to provide copies of registered documents, entries in records of the Registration Department, Encumbrance Certificate, 10 (1) adangal, ROR record, order or court decree for considering deleting from the dotted category. 

In fact, out of 10,900 applications only 120 have been accepted and 2,500 have been summarily rejected. But they have to accept the rejected applications following the latest directions of the state government. 

Farmer R Venkateswara Rao from Marupur said this kind of technique to fool the farmers is not appropriate and the government has to view the administrative violations seriously.

They say the Act 10 of 2017 had clearly mentioned that these issues have to be settled within one month for updation of re-settlement register considering 12 years of clear enjoyment. Kotireddy said they would take up agitations if the district administration fails to consider the cases.