Govt to perform 'Bhooyagnam' to retrieve lands from rich: CM

Hyderabad, Jan 16 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the government would perform ''Bhooyagnam'' to retrieve lands illegally held by rich people for distribution to poor, even as the Opposition alleged that the government had turned itself into a realtor acquiring land from poor at a cheap price and selling them to the rich.

Speaking after taking part in a series of functions in Anantapur district, Dr Reddy said, ''My Government will perform Bhooyagnam on the lines of the 'Jalayagnam' to take back all lands illegally held by influential people and distribute the same to the poor.'' The Congress Government had already distributed 4.50 lakh acres of land to the poor in the last 2.5 years, he added.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly N Chandrababu Naidu, after interacting with farmers from Medak district who had been served with notice for auctioning of ''assigned lands'' purchased by them, alleged that the government was seizing ''assigned lands'' of the poor, depriving them of their livelihood.

Mr Naidu wanted the Government not to go ahead with auctioning of 224 acres of land of the dalits in Tellapur village.

Taking up cudgels for the peasants, TRS supremo and former Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekara Rao today warned that his party would launch a massive agitation for the protection of the properties in the Telangana region.

''The Government has turned itself into a realtor acquiring lands of the poor at cheap rate and selling them to rich people,'' he charged.

Meanwhile, BJP State President and former Union Minister B Dattatreya demanded that while regularising ''assigned lands'' purchased by the poor and the middle class, the Government must confiscate lands purchased by the rich and distribute them to the poor.

In another letter to the Chief Minister, he alleged that the government while sparing the rich was confiscating the lands of the poor and the middle class. While 25 lakh acres of assigned lands had been alienated, not even one per cent of such lands were recovered, he contended.

UNI