Around 80,000 landless poor across the State will get pattas for cultivating agricultural land in an extent of 1.24 lakh acres during the final phase of land distribution, which was kick-started by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday. The distribution programme will be completed in 22 districts by this month-end, taking the total distributed land to 77 lakh acres and the number of beneficiaries to 40 lakh families.
With the conclusion of the final phase, there will be no more agriculturally-viable government land for distribution, Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy. Launching the programme, the Chief Minister said that land was not only a right but would also provide stability to the farmer’s family. Under the Indira Jala Prabha, another 30 lakh acres would be brought under irrigation by next year, he said.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said that Andhra Pradesh was the only State to have distributed so much land to the poor and achieved saturation.
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On the insistence of the Chief Minister, it was decided to ensure that all the 40 lakh beneficiaries also received crop loans. He said that government had already held discussions in this regard with NABARD and a programme would be announced at the next State Level Bankers Committee meeting. He said that his department also initiated steps to protect valuable government land in towns and mandal headquarters and so far 16,000 acres worth Rs.18,000 crores were identified to be fenced and guarded.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated Chief Commissioner of Land Administration’s new building and a website-‘Sarkari Bhoomi’-containing details of all government land in the State.
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