Hans News Service Vijayawada

NTR district collector Dr GLakshmisha said that the State government will organise the ‘Pedala Pattabhishekam’ programme in a festive atmosphere on September 30, fulfilling the long-standing dream of more than 24,000 poor families by granting them legal property rights over the houses and plots they have been occupying for several years.

The Chief Minister will launch the programme at the Makineni Basavapunnaiah (MBP) Municipal Corporation Stadium in Ajith Singh Nagar, Vijayawada. Addressing a coordination meeting with officials at the Collectorate here on Tuesday, Dr Lakshmisha directed all departments to work in close coordination to ensure the successful conduct of the programme.

The collector said beneficiaries had been identified as per government orders for regularisation of house sites where people had constructed houses and were living for several years on different categories of government land. Revenue officials had worked at the field level for the past two years to identify eligible beneficiaries, he said.

In the first phase, more than 24,000 beneficiaries had been identified under various categories, including NTR pattas, different types of assigned lands, encroachments or residential occupation by legal heirs on unobjectionable poramboke land and violations under the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act.

He said the government would issue documents conferring full rights over the properties, removing uncertainty faced by families for decades. Rights would be granted over more than 616.56 acres (around 29,84,145 square yards), equivalent to those enjoyed over private property. The registered value of the properties was estimated at around Rs 9,800 crore, while their market value was expected to exceed Rs 23,000 crore. Later, Dr Lakshmisha, Joint Collector S Ilakkiya and Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu inspected arrangements at the MBP Stadium. Around 100 special counters have been arranged for distribution of the title documents, with dedicated officials appointed to assist beneficiaries.

The collector reviewed arrangements for transportation of beneficiaries, uninterrupted power supply, medical camps, seating, public address systems and other facilities to ensure the programme was conducted smoothly. DRO M Lakshmi Narasimham, Vijayawada RDO Vennela Sreenu, DCP G Ramakrishna and other officials participated in the meeting.