Govt Begins Process to Resolve Avilala Land Dispute
Dr Venkateswar said the administration would hear the concerns of affected residents before arriving at a decision
TIRUPATI: The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated the process of resolving the decades-old land dispute in Avilala village on the outskirts of Tirupati by examining land records dating back to 1884 and surveying nearly 175 acres claimed by Hathiramji Mutt, Uttaradi Mutt and the Kochi family.
Chairing a special meeting at the district collectorate on Thursday, collector Dr S. Venkateswar said the dispute would be resolved through a transparent and legally sound process. He said the district administration was consulting affected residents, representatives of the Kochi family and the mutts, and officials of the revenue and endowments departments before taking a final decision. He added that the issue would be resolved within two months.
The collector said officials were scrutinising historical land records, transactions and legal developments dating back to 1884. The survey, being conducted in accordance with the endowments department guidelines, would form the basis for determining ownership of the disputed land.
He said the government would protect the lands belonging to Hathiramji Mutt while examining the possibility of removing Section 22-A restrictions from Kochi family lands wherever legally permissible. Referring to the existing government orders, the collector said the disputed land was recognised as being equally shared between Hathiramji Mutt and the Kochi family, and further action would be taken accordingly.
Dr Venkateswar said the administration would hear the concerns of affected residents before arriving at a decision. He noted that many families had invested their lifetime savings in purchasing plots and constructing houses in Avilala and assured that no one would be treated unfairly. He added that the concerns of buyers who had purchased land through General Power of Attorney (GPA) documents would also be addressed after resolving the claims of the original landowners.
Referring to the government’s efforts to resolve long-pending land disputes, the collector said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had directed district collectors to accord priority to such cases. He cited the resolution of Section 22-A land issues at Settipalli, Daminedu and Auto Nagar in Tirupati district as examples.
Kochi family representative Kochi Seshagiri Rao urged the government to remove eligible lands from the Section 22-A prohibited list in accordance with the endowments commissioner’s orders to facilitate registrations while ensuring justice to residents, agreement holders and others who had unknowingly purchased disputed properties.