AP enhances land pooling package for capital construction

The Andhra Pradesh government today announced an enhancement of the benefits package for farmers and land owners in the Vijayawada region, where the proposed state capital is to be constructed.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told reporters tonight that annual payments to farmers who are part of the land pooling exercise would be made from March 1 this year. Crops can be cultivated in the lands till end of April.
An annual payment of Rs 30,000 would be made to dryland farmers with less than an acre of land, while farmers giving up 'Jereebu' (lands near Krishna river) would get Rs 50,000.

Farmers practising horticulture would be redeemed of their debt upto Rs 1.50 lakh, while 'Jereebu' farmers would get 1,000 square feet of land for residential purpose and 450 square feet of land for commercial purpose.
The package also contains some other benefits to farmers and land owners.
The announcement came ahead of the deadline for land pooling which ends on February 28. About 25,000 acres of land have been pooled from farmers in the region so far.

Naidu had a meeting with farmers from some of villages in the proposed capital region today.
Citing instances like farms being set on fire earlier, in the proposed capital region, Naidu condemned alleged attempts to derail the process of constructing the capital.

Andhra Pradesh should have a capital that citizens could feel proud of, he said.
Earlier in the day, Singapore Minister Shanmugam had a meeting with the Chief Minister. The Singaporean government would help the state prepare plans for the capital, besides other aspects.