Capping his six-month rule, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced the new capital land pooling policy and package for the farmers and land owners in the capital city region in Guntur district.
Besides farmers, the package would also cover tenants and farm labourers who were dependent on the lands for eking out a living. The land pooling activity would be rolled out from Tuesday itself for farmers who give their consent in the specified format, he said.
The government will also bring in legislation on the land pooling policy in the ensuing Assembly session. Land pooling was preferred to land acquisition to ensure that farmers and local people living in the capital region become the first beneficiaries.
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Unveiling the land pooling package at a media conference, Mr. Naidu said patta land holders in dry land areas would be given1,000 sq.yards of developed residential plots and 200 sq.yards of commercial plot per acre. For assigned land owners, it would be 800 sq.yards of residential and 100 sq.yards of commercial plot.
In the ‘jareeb’ lands close to the riverbank, patta land owners would get 1,000 sq.yards of residential and 300 sq.yards of commercial plot, assigned land owners 800 sq.yards of residential and 200 sq.yards of commercial plot. In addition, the land owners would get Rs. 30,000 a year to compensate for the loss of agricultural income in dry lands with Rs. 3,000 increase per year and Rs. 50,000 a year in ‘jareeb’ lands, with Rs. 5,000 increase per year for a period of 10 years.
Mr. Naidu said a legally valid receipt would be given to farmers immediately who hand over the land. Land pooling ownership certificate would be given within nine months and infrastructure development would be done in three years.
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The developed plots would be allotted to farmers close to their lands and in one place. They would also be given one-time exemption of stamps, registration fee, Nala fee, and basic infrastructure development fee.
While 22,405 farmers who availed crop loans up to Rs.1.5 lakh would be extended one-time settlement under the debt redemption scheme with release of Rs. 200 crore, 12,000 landless families would be given pension of Rs. 2,500 a month for 10 years through the Capital Region Social Security Fund.
The other benefits include free education, health facility to all those residing in the capital region as on December 8, 2014, old age homes, NTR canteens, houses to homeless, 365 days employment guarantee scheme, skill development training with stipend to tenant farmers, farm labour and loans up to Rs. 25 lakh to poor families to take up self-employment. The Central government would be urged to give exemption from capital gains and income tax for the farmers under the land pooling scheme, he said.