Govt to conduct survey of assigned lands

The move comes in the wake of reports that large tracks of lands distributed to the Dalits remain fallow because of lack of irrigation facility

Hyderabad: The State government has decided to conduct a detailed survey of assigned lands distributed to the landless poor belonging to the Scheduled Castes. The move is aimed at identifying the hundreds of acres of assigned lands which remain uncultivated.

According to the Telangana Scheduled Caste Cooperative Development Corporation (TSCCDC) sources, most of the lands distributed to the landless poor over the years could not yield much results to the beneficiaries because the lands were left fallow and thus defeating the very purpose of the programme.

Successive government in the United Andhra Pradesh had distributed lands to the landless belonging to the Scheduled Castes and issued pattas for assigned lands for cultivation. Besides land distributions there had been a scheme called Indira Jala Prabha (IJP) to provide irrigation facilities to the lands distributed to enable the beneficiaries to carry out agriculture operations.

However, in most of the cases, the beneficiaries could not cultivate lands due to lack of irrigation facilities resulting in the scheme failing to achieve its objective. It was against this backdrop that the government had asked the TSCCDC to figure out a permanent solution so as to bring all the assigned lands under irrigation.

As part of this exercise, the district officials were asked to carry out a detailed survey of all the assigned lands distributed in their area. The survey includes names of the beneficiaries, soil pattern, whether the lands are cultivable or not, status of irrigation facilities created and the like.

Speaking to The Hans India, TSCCDC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Lachiaram Bhukya said, once the status of the assigned lands distributed is known, then, a two-tier strategy would be adopted to bring them under irrigation.

Firstly, the district officials would figure out from their end to bring the assigned lands in their area under cultivation using the existing schemes. And, if there are any balance of lands remained which the district officials cannot handle making use of the existing schemes, then they would be asked to submit detailed reports to the TSCCDC.

Basing on the reports by the district officials, the government would extend assistance needed to bring the assigned lands under cultivation.

V R C Phaniharan