Amaravati: TDP to intensify stir against OTS

Amaravati: TDP will be stepping up the agitation against the OTS (one-time settlement) scheme announced by the state government to regularise houses given to the poor.

Describing the OTS collections as 'noose' around the necks of the poor beneficiaries, a TDP meeting under the chairmanship of N Chandrababu Naidu here on Monday, said a protest programme would begin with demonstrations in front of mandal and municipal offices on December 20 seeking free registrations. On December 23, the same would be held at district collectorates.

The TDP leaders accused the government of resorting to 'coercive OTS collections' for the houses that were built for the poor families even during the NT Rama Rao rule. The poor families had been living in these houses for many decades and they had undeniable rights of property over them.

The meeting passed a resolution to allot houses to the poor once the party came back to power. It said the previous government had given free registrations to 52,000 beneficiaries in Visakhapatnam. The meeting also criticised the government for the CID investigation into skill development programmes of the past. It was being done to divert public attention, it said.

The TDP declared its solidarity for the meeting of the Maha Padayatra of Amaravati farmers at Tirupati on December 17. Round-table programmes would be held in all the Assembly constituencies in support of the 'Nyaya Sthanam to Devasthanam' yatra.