New land allotment policy in AP soon

The Andhra Pradesh government will soon come out with a policy comprising specific guidelines for allotment of land to entrepreneurs for setting up industries and ports in the state.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy stated this in the Assembly on Tuesday when members questioned allotment of large tracts of government land to private entities like the Vanpic (Vadarevu Nizampatnam Ports and Industrial Corridor).

The members alleged that private entities were mortgaging the land allotted to them for raising money to promote their own business instead of utilising it for the purpose for which it was allotted.

The chief minister said the government would also review how the land allotted to various entities so far was being utilised.

He said that the Centre had proposed to set up a new port in the state and his government was ready to allot the necessary land wherever it wanted.

Meanwhile, environmental activist and former IAS officer, EAS Sarma, has written a letter to Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, alleging that “one private party has cornered most of Andhra Pradesh's coastline.” He wanted the Centre to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this aspect.