No poor man will go without shelter: YSR

Hyderabad, Aug 22 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said it was his government's endeavour to see no poor man was without shelter and said all efforts would be made to implement 'INDIRAMMA' (housing scheme).

Inaugurating a seminar on ''Implementation of Recommendations of Koneru Ranga Rao Committee'' on land distribution at the MCR HRD Institute here, Dr Reddy said knowing the poor would anyway get house sites, some parties embarked on agitations to claim credit for the same.

Stating 'INDIRAMMA' (housing) was a prestigious programme for the government, the Chief Minister said 12 lakh people were either given house sites, or rights over the land in the implementation of the first phase of the programme.

Stressing on the urgent need for acquiring land for the second and third phases of the programme, he cautioned that any laxity in this regard would not be taken lightly.

He advised officials to try for Consent Awards in land acquisition to avoid litigation and said this was the reason why collectors were authorised to pay 200 per cent more than the stipulated amount.

Referring to the Opposition criticism that house sites were being given only to a section of people, Dr Reddy asked the officials to implement the scheme without any discrimination.

Stating that problems with regard to land administration had multiplied as it was badly neglected during the past 20 years (TDP rule), the Chief Minister said his government was trying to resolve them.

Dr Reddy said of the 50 lakh acre of land distributed to the poor during the past 50 years in the state, ten per cent had once again slipped back into the hands of the rich. His government was examining the state of these 'assigned lands' some of which have already been recovered.

He also recollected how he surrendered 300 acre of assigned land purchased by some of his family members and relatives when he came to know of it.

The Chief Minister lamented the Opposition found fault with him even for that. He questioned how many TDP leaders surrendered the lands in their possession.

Claiming his was a government of deeds not words, Dr Reddy reminded that in seven months of coming to power, 1.5 lakh acre of land was distributed to poor for cultivation.

UNI