Kakani Demands Mandal-Wise Disclosure of Land Re-Verification Data

Nellore: YSRC Nellore district president and former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy on Saturday demanded that the TDP-led coalition government disclose mandal-wise and district-wise data of the ongoing land re-verification process.

Speaking at the YSRC district office, he said land registrations had remained frozen for the past 27 months in the name of re-verification, causing hardship to poor farmers. He demanded details of the number of applications received, rejected, and approved on appeal, besides recommendations received from public representatives.

Govardhan Reddy charged that the land re-verification process lacks transparency. It has increased the role of middlemen, forcing farmers to approach the ACB in some cases. He alleged that lakhs of SC, ST, BC, and minority farmers are suffering as a result.

The former minister said land reforms introduced by the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government had been aimed at giving full ownership rights to poor farmers. Under the policy, original assignees or their legal heirs possessing assigned land for 20 years with valid records had been eligible for ownership rights.

The system required 100 per cent verification at the VRO and tahsildar levels and inspection of 10 per cent of lands at the RDO level. Govardhan Reddy pointed out that the previous government had also removed eligible lands from the 22-A list and issued permanent titles. This led 15.21 lakh poor farmers securing ownership rights over 27.41 lakh acres.

He accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of delaying this process for 27 months and later continuing the same reforms while claiming credit.