No political interference in land disputes: CM

Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday directed district administrations to accord top priority to the resolution of land disputes, particularly those involving lands notified under Section 22A, and made it clear that political interference in such matters would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Addressing district collectors on the second day of the Collectors’ Conference, the Chief Minister said the resolution of 22A land disputes would be the first agenda item at the next Collectors’ Conference, underlining the government’s intent to restore confidence in land administration.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, during the meeting, also flagged complaints he had received regarding the involvement of certain political leaders in land disputes in Visakhapatnam. Responding firmly, Naidu ordered collectors and superintendents of police to act decisively and ensure there were no complaints of political interference in land-related cases.

The Chief Minister observed that land disputes currently dominated public grievances, largely due to the “chaotic handling” of land records between 2019 and 2024. He said revenue record management in the undivided Andhra Pradesh had once been exemplary, but arbitrary inclusion of lands under Section 22A during the previous administration had pushed many genuine landowners into prolonged litigation. “If people were denied land they were legally entitled to, those lands were simply placed under 22A, creating unnecessary disputes,” he said.

Naidu stressed that collectors were fully responsible for resolving land issues “100 per cent” and ensuring that correct documents reached rightful owners. He instructed officials to conduct surveys, settle 22A lands, complete Joint LPM cases within stipulated deadlines, and assign specific responsibility for dispute resolution to joint collectors. He warned that certain professionals were deliberately fomenting land disputes and said the PD Act should be invoked against them if required.

The Chief Minister also directed the speedy issuance of pending pattadar passbooks and said systems should be put in place to ensure passbooks and registered documents were delivered directly to farmers and property owners from printing locations. Position certificates in housing cases, especially where families had been living for 20–30 years, should be cleared quickly, he said.

Naidu further instructed officials to act firmly against land encroachments, particularly in districts such as Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli, and said culprits must not be spared. Emphasising fiscal discipline, he asked collectors to focus on district-wise revenue receipts, prevent tax evasion or manipulation, and ensure the state did not lose revenue “even for a single day”.

Chef Commissioner of Land Revenue (CCLA) G Sai Prasad, in his presentation, said that between June 15, 2024 and the 12th of this month, 5,40,670 grievances were received, of which 4,59,107 had been resolved, while 41,535 were under process. During the same period, 15,23,656 mutation applications were received, with 95.9 per cent disposed of, including 11,15,572 approvals and 3,45,612 rejections.