Land grabbing law to stem illegal activities

Vijayawada: To put a check to land-grabbing activities in Andhra Pradesh, the state government has decided to bring land grabbing act like the one that exists in Gujarat.

This proposed act will be discussed at the next cabinet meeting and will also be discussed in detail during the Assembly session before it becomes law. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that the proposed law is aimed at ensuring that the economic terrorists were punished and the interests of the farmers and common man were protected. “The act will not only declare that the land grabbing as unlawful but also prohibit the offence, following large-scale allegations of land grabbing by the land mafia during the five-year tenure of YSRCP. The Gujarat Land Grabbing Act brought the offence of land grabbing under a single special legislation,” he said.

Crucially, the law is applicable retrospectively and contemplates both civil and criminal action.

Apart from eviction, it prescribes a minimum punishment of 10 years in jail, which can go up to 14 years, and also a fine equal to the revenue value, as opposed to market value of the property in question.

Releasing the white paper on illegal mining of sand, land grabbing and destruction of natural resources like forests, Naidu assured to reinstate the lands to the real owners and provide necessary legal help.

Replying to a question by Hans India, the CM said a toll free number would be created where people particularly in rural areas can lodge complaints if their land or house sites were forcibly dragged away by YSRCP government or its leaders.

Naidu said even gathering full data on the quantum of land grabbed and looting of mines was not yet available.

But according to available reports, mines and minerals worth Rs 19,000 crore were looted. The previous government had even appointed officers on deputation from outside so that they can do whatever they like.

YSRCP leaders and their supporters grabbed the mines like silicon, granite, quartz and laterite by threatening or heavily penalising the real lease holders. He said even he was threatened by YSRCP leaders in Chittoor district.

They did not even leave the red hills (Erramatti Dibbalu) in Vizag which has been totally destroyed or Dravida University where illegal mining took place. Even sand in Amaravati was taken away, he added.