The
Andhra Pradesh government unveiled a Land Pooling Policy today, to
secure about 30,000 acres of land in order to construct a greenfield,
riverfront capital city for the state on the southern side of the
Krishna river, close to Vijayawada in the Guntur district. "Pooling"
of land for the capital would begin tomorrow as a "majority"
of 22,405 farmers in 29 villages which comprise the proposed Andhra
Pradesh state capital region are ready to part with their lands,
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, announcing the new policy
here this afternoon. The state government would immediately release a
sum of Rs 200 crore to provide debt relief of upto Rs 1.5 lakh to
each farmer as a one-time settlement. "Farmers who give their
lands for the capital will get immense benefits as I promised to
render justice to all. This will be the best land pooling package on
offer in the country and we will build a world-class capital city for
which the Singapore government will prepare the masterplan," the
Chief Minister said at a press conference. Under the package, farmers
owning dry land would be given 1,000 square yards of residential plot
and 200 square yards of commercial plot as compensation for every
acre given to the Andhra Pradesh government. Owners of wet land would
be given 1,000 square yards of residential land and 300 square yards
of commercial plots in the proposed zone closer to their existing
lands. Besides, owners of dry land would also be paid Rs 30,000 per
annum as compensation for ten years, with a 10 per cent hike every
year, while those owning wet lands would get Rs 50,000 as well as a
10 per cent hike per annum.
"We
will commence land pooling process from tomorrow and first issue an
authorisation letter to land owners. In the next nine months, they
will get Land Pooling Ownership Certificate and the land will be
developed with necessary infrastructure in the next three years,"
Chandrababu said. "We will write to the Government of India
seeking exemption of capital gains tax and income tax to land owners
who part with their land for the Andhra Pradesh state capital,"
the Chief Minister said. However, the state government would "act
as per law" if owners did not come forward to part with their
lands under the pooling system, the chief minister said, implying
that the Land Acquisition Act would be used on them. "Under the
Land Acquisition Act, farmers will only stand to lose," Naidu
said. Noting that Andhra Pradesh had suffered damage on all counts,
due to the bifurcation, the chief minister said that everybody's
co-operation is required to construct the capital city. "Having
to build the capital is sad, but it is also an opportunity. We are
lucky to get that opportunity. I have the blessings of God and I am
confident of pooling the required financial resources,"
Chandrababu said. "We will create a Capital Region Social
Security Fund for the purpose. There are about 12,000 families of
agriculture labourers and tenant farmers who will be paid Rs 30,000
per annum each," he said. "The government will also provide
free education and health care for all these families and wage
employment will be provided for 365 days under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The government will also
open old-age homes and NTR canteens to provide shelter and food to
old-aged persons," he said. He said that a skill development
centre would be opened for unemployed youth where they would be
imparted training in various vocations. The government would arrange
interest-free loans of upto Rs 25 lakh each for youth to take up
self-employment, he said.
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