This is to restore the powers of the VGTMUDA to safeguard the requirement of the new capital city
Picture used for representational purpose. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday issued orders suspending the powers of gram panchayats on development of land and buildings in panchayats falling under Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority jurisdiction.
This is to restore the powers of the VGTMUDA after a gap of two years to safeguard the requirement of the new capital city, proposed to be built in that region.
The VGTMUDA area has 20 lakh acres of land located in its jurisdiction of which 6.5 lakh acres are located in the proposed 184-kms Outer Ring Road. Sources told this correspondent that thousands of acres of open land in gram Khantam area is available in VGTMUDA area, and the orders suspending the powers of gram panchayat over its control on development of land, its use and building approvals would leave the lands open for government to acquire for capital city construction.
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development principal secretary, Mr D. Samsiva Rao issued the orders on Wednesday in G.O. Ms No 201. In the orders, Mr Rao stated that the government was only restoring the powers to VGTMUDA that were delegated to gram panchayats in the last two decades.
“The government has taken a decision to restore the powers delegated to the gram panchayats in order to safeguard the requirements of the proposed new capital city. In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 36(1) of A.P. Urban Areas (Dev) Act, 1975, the powers of local panchayats relating to the control on development and use of land and buildings under the Andhra Pradesh Gram Panchayats Act, 1964 are suspended to the extent of Gram Khantam areas of panchayats falling in Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Area jurisdiction and accordingly the powers delegated under Section 56 of A.P. Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975 are restored to Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Area relating to the control on Development and use of land and buildings,” the orders stated.
Interestingly, the restrictions pertaining to land transaction in the proposed capital region i.e. VGTMUDA are being imposed by the state government one after the other. Firstly, the government asked VGTMUDA to stop giving approvals to pending and new layouts.
No new land intensive projects are being allowed in VGTMUDA area and the government proposes to impose a ban on land registrations in the proposed capital city region in the next one week. The latest is suspension of powers to accord land and building development powers of gram panchayats.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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