Khammam administration moves to protect government lands

Encroachment of Sagar land, depletion of green cover worry officials. The shrinking open spaces earmarked for development of green belts and fast depleting green cover in the rapidly expanding town has also become a matter of grave concern for the civic authorities.

With the proposal to include Khammam in the “100 Smart Cities” project under the active consideration of the Central government, the district administration has focused its attention on safeguarding the vacant government lands in and around the town.

A proposal has been mooted by the district administration to erect fences or construct compound walls around the vacant lands belonging to the government under the Khammam Municipal Corporation limits as well as its adjoining areas, sources said.

The move has gained prominence as several valuable vacant lands under the corporation limits continue to face the threat of encroachments.

It may be noted that unscrupulous elements allegedly encroached upon vast stretch of Nagarjunasagar Project (NSP) lands to an extent of nearly five acres in the town several years ago.

The shrinking open spaces earmarked for development of green belts and fast depleting green cover in the rapidly expanding town has also become a matter of grave concern for the civic authorities.

Infrastructure projects

Huge extent of land is required for the proposed infrastructure projects like summer storage tanks and Outer Ring Road besides for providing housing facility to the poor under the corporation limits, informed Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Khammam legislator.

When contacted, he said that protection of the vacant government lands in and around the town is of paramount significance. An amount of Rs. 1 crore has been allocated from the Thirteenth Finance Commission funds by the government for erection of fencing and construction of compound walls around the vacant lands of the government.

The State government should desist from the reported move to dispose of the valuable NSP lands situated in the core area of the town through public auction, he said. The prime NSP lands should be retained by the government for meeting the future land requirements towards construction of new bus station and other public utility purposes, he suggested, saying he would raise the issue prominently during the ensuing State Assembly sessions.