Andhra Cabinet to clear Capital Region Authority rules tomorrow

Land pooling for the proposed capital region yet to begin

Revenue officials, deployed for the land pooling exercise in the proposed capital city region, visited a few villages on Wednesday for taking consent of farmers to part with their lands even though the government may take sometime to frame the rules under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (AP CRDA).

According to government officials, the draft rules under this Act will be put before the state Cabinet on January 2 for approval before initiating the due process to notify the same. Following the Cabinet approval, the government has to put out the draft rules seeking objections, if any, from the public by giving 15 days' time to respond, according to them.

In the absence of these rules, the visit of the revenue officials to villages is seen only as a token move to send out signals that the government is firm on its intent to take the entire 30,000 acres of land identified for the construction of the capital in the first phase.

On Monday, the situation turned tense in some of these villages as unknown miscreants burnt plantations of farmers, who are said to be unwilling to give their lands.

According to local sources, farmers in the upland areas are coming forward as they consider government's offer of developed plot and annual compensation in exchange for land as a better bargain.

However, farmers from about a dozen villages closer to the Krishna river, including some that have already become suburbs of the existing cities of Vijayawada and Guntur, are said to be unwilling to accept the government offer. Around 10,000 acres of land out of the total land identified for the capital city falls under these villages. The government has also hinted at using the land acquisition Act wherever farmers stay away from the land pooling system, which is being promoted as a financially more attractive proposition by the authorities.

Meanwhile, it is expected to take some more time to deploy the teams formed for this purpose. The municipal administration department has issued the orders for posting 34 deputy collectors drawn from the revenue department on deputation for this purpose.