After Jalayagnam, it is 'Bhoo Yagnam' in Andhra

Hyderabad, Aug 23 (UNI) Even as the CPI and the CPI(M) have embarked on the second phase of the Bhooporattam (land struggle), the Andhra Pradesh Government today announced that it would take up 'Bhoo Yagnam' to distribute lakhs of acres of cultivable land and house sites to the landless poor.

Talking to newspersons here after a workshop on the Koneru Ranga Rao Committee recommendations on land distribution, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said the Government, which had earlier taken up 'Jalayagnam' (construction of irrigation projects) on a massive scale, would now take up 'Bhoo Yagnam'.

Referring to the Communist parties' demand that those who occupied house sites during their movement be given pattas, he said that while those who occupied sites would be about 5,000 people, the Government was mulling to give sites to 60 lakh shelterless people.

On the demand of the Left parties for the constitution of a Land Commisison, the Minister said it would be an insult to the Revenue department, which would distribute land.

Mr Rao said that of the 104 recommendations of the Koneru Ranga Rao Committee, 74 were accepted by the Government and nine were rejected. The Government would announce its decision on the remaining recommendations within three or four days.

He said review meetings would be held by Revenue officials on all Tuesdays in three regions - Telangana, Andhra and Rayalaseema - to assess the land available for distribution.

UNI