AP Assembly repeals Urban Land Ceiling Act

Hyderabad, Mar 27 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Assembly today adopted a resolution, repealing the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, after members of the main opposition TDP, CPI and CPI(M) staged a walkout.

Moving the resolution, Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao maintained that with the repeal of the Act, adhering to the Centre's direction, large tracts of land in urban areas entangled in court litigation would be freed, benefitting the poor and middle class to secure a piece of land in cities.

The House had adopted the Act by voice vote, with the ruling Congress and AIMIM supporting the resolution.

The Minister announced that with the repeal of the Act, less than 80 square yard of any unassigned government land in possession of poor people would be regularised.

According to studies, economic growth of states that ensured litigation-free land, increased by 1.3 per cent, he claimed.

Denying the opposition charge that the repeal would only benefit the rich people, he said all states, except West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, had repealed the Act and both of them states had also given an undertaking to the Centre to do so by next year.

It was unfortunate that the Congress Government, which had promised to usher in 'Indiramma Raj' in the state, was repealing the landmark piece of legislation to give away thousands of crores of rupees worth prime land to rich people, TDP legislator P Keshav alleged before leading his party colleagues out of the House.

CPI(M) Floor Leader N Narasimaiah led his party colleagues out of the House, contending that it did not want to be a party to the government's decision to repeal the Act, allegedly succumbing to World Bank conditionalities.

Contending that the repeal would only benefit the rich people, Mr Ravindrakumar (CPI) walked out of the House along with his party colleagues.

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