CPI demands amendment for land reforms

Hyderabad, Mar 10 (UNI) Pressing for distribution of 60 lakh acres to one crore landless poor people in Andhra Pradesh, the Communist Party of India (CPI) today demanded that the Constitution be amended to ensure that land reforms were implemented effectively, taking into view the Supreme Court ruling.

The grant of pattas for lakhs of acres distributed since the time of Indira Gandhi through land ceiling law, was insufficient and actual possession should be ensured for the landless labourers, CPI floor leader Ch Venkata Reddy stressed, while moving an resolution in the State Assembly. Much of the assigned lands had not not been handed over to the poor and some of these lands were also entangled in court cases.

CPI(M) Floor leader N Narasimhaiah lamented that no action had been taken on the memorandum submitted by the party detailing the available surplus lands in the State. ''Is the Congress Government too going hightech like the previous TDP Government, ignoring the needs of the poor,'' he sought to know.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) member G Nagesh contended that a majority of the endowment lands were in the possession of influential persons in the form of lease agreements for long years.

Maintaining that there was no need for adoption of the unofficial resolution, Congress member Ravi Babu said the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Government had so far distributed 3.30 lakh acres and allocated Rs 500 crore for bringing them under cultivation under the ''Indira Prabha programme'' and had programmed to distribute another one lakh acres in May.

The discussion remained inconclusive.

UNI SM KVV VD BS1816