The State government has earmarked ₹1,600 crore for land purchase scheme for the benefit of Dalits and will distribute nearly 2,000 acres to them on the 125th Ambedkar jayanthi, said A.P. Scheduled Castes Cooperative Finance Corporation Chairman Jupudi Prabhakar Rao on Friday.
Addressing an awareness meeting in the Kurnool Collectorate, he said guidelines and a manual prepared for implementation of the land purchase scheme should be followed by the Revenue Department without any deviation. Tehsildars must implement the scheme properly and transform every Dalit into a farmer, Mr. Prabhakar Rao said.
Foundation stone would be laid for a 125-foot-high statue of Ambedkar at Amaravati on the jayanthi, he added. Land would be distributed among one crore Dalits in 20 lakh Dalit families in the State.
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The government would develop the land and extend help for cultivation for two years to generate income for Dalits. Awareness could be created among the beneficiary, banker and the middleman, he said.
The Chairman told revenue officials to take care while fixing the land price and keep middlemen at bay.
Cultivable lands with abundant water availability would be purchased for the scheme, District Collector Ch. Vijayamohan said.
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