AP designates some officials for land acquisition

Andhra Pradesh government today issued orders designating certain officials working as competent authorities in its Land Pooling Scheme in the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority as being competent to perform all functions of Collector under the Land Acquisition Act.
The officials are designated as "Special Deputy Collectors (Land Acquisition) competent to perform all the functions of Collector under the said Act, within their jurisdictions," according to a Government Order (GO) issued today.
The GO assumes significance against the backdrop of opposition parties and also actor-turned-politician Pavan Kalyan opposing any move to implement the land acquisition act to acquire lands for development of capital city coming up in the Vijayawada region.

The government has already gathered about 33,000 acres for capital city development under its Land Pooling Scheme and is considering the option of invoking land acquisition act to collect other proposed lands.
Kalyan, founder of Jana Sena Party, voiced his opposition (on social media) to any move to acquire lands under the land acquisition act.
His extensive campaign in last year's elections is considered one of the major factors for the victory of TDP-BJP combine.