Jagan govt to take up land survey in Andhra from January 1

The state government would mark the boundaries and issue passbooks to land owners.

The Andhra Pradesh government will launch a comprehensive survey of all lands in the state in an attempt to identify genuine land owners, provide them permanent land rights, eliminate encroachments and put an end to all land disputes.

The cabinet also approved a new sand policy which is aimed at outsourcing sand excavation, storage and sale of sand to the end users. (Photo@AndhraPradeshCM)

A decision to this effect was taken at the state cabinet meeting held in the secretariat on Thursday. Named as “‘YSR Jagananna Saswatha Bhoomi Hakku-Bhoomi Rakshana,” the comprehensive land survey will take off from January 1.

“Every inch of the land in the State will be resurveyed using the latest technology involving drones, 4,500 survey teams and 15,000 surveyors with an estimated expenditure of about ₹1000 crore,” state agriculture minister K Kanna Babu told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

He said the state government would mark the boundaries and issue passbooks to land owners. It would set up a mobile court to resolve the land disputes on the spot. “Such a survey is overdue and is being held in the state after a gap of over 100 years,” the minister said.

The cabinet also approved a new sand policy which is aimed at outsourcing sand excavation, storage and sale of sand to the end users.

The minister said the government would first offer sand excavation, storage and sale to central public undertakings like National Mineral Development Corporation. “Discussions are being held with eight central public sector undertakings, including NMDC,” he said.

If these central government undertakings do not come forward for sand mining, it would be entrusted to private parties that have technical expertise, efficiency and financial strength through open auction in a transparent manner.

Kanna Babu said users could directly go to the sand reaches and transport sand using their own vehicles without any additional cost. The tenders have been sorted into three groups with three districts in each group, where separate tenders will be called for each group.

The government shall fix the prices for buying at the reach and for door delivery based on the distance while sand can be booked both online and offline, it said.

The cabinet also approved the construction of Integrated Data Centre, Integrated IT and Business Park, Recreation Centre and Skill Development University in Visakhapatnam with ₹14,630 crore and the project will be taken up by Adani Group.

The cabinet approved the land allocation to 16 new medical colleges in various districts, provision of loans to the extent of ₹1,362 crore to self-help group women for setting up dairy units and door delivery of fine rice under public distribution system directly to the consumers among others.