Farmers Seek Reconversion of KSEZ Lands Before Re-Registration
Farmers awaiting the return of KSEZ lands have urged the government to restore their agricultural classification before re-registration, citing procedural hurdles and software constraints.
Farmers whose lands are being returned from the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) have urged the state government to reconvert them from “non-agricultural to agricultural classification before completing the re-registration process.”
According to KSEZ officials, about 305 acres belonging to 327 farmers, valued at around `38.5 crore, require reconversion to agricultural status so as to facilitate registration.
Kakinada SEZ Ltd acquired land across six villages in Thondangi and U Kothapalli mandals in 2006. During this process, the state government converted the agricultural land into non-agricultural land.
Following GO-Ms-12, dated March 4, 2021, issued during the YSRC term, the process was initiated to return 2,180 acres to landowners who had not accepted compensation.
In line with the government order, the authorities began re-registering the lands in favour of eligible farmers with exemptions from stamp duty and registration charges. However, farmers said the lands must first be reclassified as agricultural to complete the registration process.
Based on representations from farmers, KSEZ has requested the revenue department to restore the land classification to agricultural to facilitate re-registration.
In a communication to the district collector, Kakinada revenue divisional officer Mallibabu stated that while GO-Ms-12 provides the policy framework for returning lands, it does not specify the procedure or identify the competent authority for reconverting land already classified as non-agricultural.
Revenue department sources said there is no clarity on the authority empowered to approve such reconversion or the procedure to be followed in the KSEZ case.
Officials point out that around 1,500 acres returned to farmers during the tenure of former District collector Kritika Shukla were subsequently reconverted to agricultural status after re-registration.
They said technical limitations in the registration software were preventing the lands from being registered as agricultural. A decision by the district collector, along with directions to the revenue and the stamps and registration departments was required to resolve the issue.
