CM Naidu distributes land ownership pattas to 26,401 families in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada, Sept 30 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday distributed land ownership pattas with full rights to 26,401 families from NTR and Krishna districts under the ‘Pedalaku Pattabhishekam’ programme at Makineni Basava Punnaiah Stadium in Vijayawada.

According to the state government, the land covered in Vijayawada alone spans 707 acres and is valued at Rs 28,112 crore, with individual plots estimated to be worth between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crore.

Addressing a public meeting, Naidu said the coalition government had already granted land rights to 28,000 families in Visakhapatnam and 5,800 families in Mangalagiri.

He said the decision to grant ownership rights was taken in response to the difficulties faced by poor families over several decades.

The Chief Minister alleged that the previous government’s policies between 2019 and 2024 had created property disputes among families.

He also criticised the printing of political leaders’ photographs on pattadar passbooks and survey stones, saying the expenditure could have been used for welfare programmes.

Naidu said the coalition government had spent Rs 1.5 lakh crore on development works and remained committed to welfare, infrastructure development and wealth creation.

On irrigation, he said the Pattiseema project had so far supplied 490 TMC of Godavari water to the Krishna delta, helping meet the region’s water requirements despite inadequate inflows into the Krishna River and its reservoirs.

He said around 1,400 TMC of Godavari water had flowed into the sea so far this year and that diverting even 100 TMC for productive use could benefit the region.

The Chief Minister said the government aimed to complete the Polavaram project by next year and provide water through gravity flow.

Water conserved in the Krishna delta would be diverted to Rayalaseema, he added.

Naidu also announced plans to complete 36 irrigation projects at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore over the next three years. He said the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project could help address water scarcity across southern India.

Referring to women’s employment and economic empowerment, he said the government was marketing products manufactured by DWCRA women’s groups under their own brand.

Naidu said 5.5 lakh houses had been completed and the government planned to provide another 5.5 lakh houses within the next year.

He reiterated that the government aimed to ensure every poor family had a house site, a house and a tap-water connection.

Defending the Amaravati capital project, the Chief Minister said it was being developed as a Blue City with 50 per cent green cover and that its electricity requirements would be met through green energy.

The government aimed to develop Amaravati as a net-zero city, he added.

Naidu said the coalition government’s initiatives were directed towards achieving the vision of Swarna Andhra.

TNT KM