The claim of Adilabad district administration to top the list in implementation of Dalit Basti, a scheme for allocating 3 acres of land to landless poor Scheduled Caste families, seems to be hollow given the actual status.
A good number of beneficiaries could be forced to forego cultivation in the current season as they have not been handed over the allocated pieces of land despite being given rights over it.
Actual number
The actual number of beneficiaries who have not been handed over possession of the lands purchased for them by the government is being kept a secret. There are however, at least 17 beneficiaries from Dalit Basti scheme for the year 2015-16 in Talamadugu mandal headquarter and a few in Bedoda of Bela mandal, Jainad and Sawapur of Jainad and Arli of Adilabad mandal who continue to be deprived of their lands.
“Political interference is the main cause for non payment of the price of land to the pattadars who have sold their lands to the government for distribution under the land purchase scheme. In Talamadugu mandal headquarter for example, the pattadars are refusing to hand over possession and a few of them have even sown in the lands they have agreed to sell,” pointed out a concerned official on conditions of anonymity. “We have incurred a debt of Rs.15,000 each to plough the furrows and purchase seeds for cultivating the land this season.
We are not being given possession of the land even after a lapse of 1 year,” lamented Kade Rajeshwari, a beneficiary from Talamadugu.
Under pressure
The total extent of land purchased for the Dalit Basti in the mandal in question is about 51 acres involving a payment of Rs. 2.25 crore to the pattadar sellers.
The latter are also under pressure from a leading political group in the mandal not to hand over possession of the lands until payment is made, according to a source.
Collector M. Jagan Mohan conceded that some investigation had delayed payment to the pattadars but denied there being similar problem elsewhere in the district.
However, the Collector said that the distribution of 1,613 acres of land among 561 beneficiaries has been a smooth affair.
