VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed officials of the Revenue Department to re-issue pattadar passbooks to landowners with the State emblem, replacing the image of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The new pattadar passbooks will also have a QR code, which when scanned will provide complete details of the owner, land, location, and map.
In a post on X, Naidu said, “We are correcting the mistakes of the previous ruler who abused power by putting his image on the pattadar passbooks. Public is of the opinion that no one else’s photo should figure on the property inherited from their ancestors. That’s why we will issue new passbooks with the official seal as promised during the election. The arrogant and bigoted tendencies of the past regime do not exist in this public government. Our government has taken the responsibility of protecting the self-respect of the people and their property.”
On the issue pertaining to the land re-survey conducted in 7,000 villages under the previous YSRC dispensation, Gram Sabhas will be held, on the directives of the Chief Minister, to find out if the re-survey was conducted properly or not. The Gram Sabhas will decide the future course of action without hurting interests of genuine land owners.
Briefing mediapersons on the issues discussed during the review meet, Revenue Minister Anagani Satyaprasad said 80% of the revenue litigations are related to land, and most of them have happened during the past five years.
He added, “The CM has directed officials to compile a report on irregularities, particularly pertaining to 22A and lands grabbed by leaders of the previous regime.”
‘Jagan spent Rs 15 cr to get his photo on passbooks’
Unlike the previous regime, the TDP-led NDA government is not vindictive, Satyaprasad said and added land irregularities, found in Visakhapatnam, undivided Chittoor, Nellore, and Prakasam districts, will be investigated.
Lashing out at Jagan, the Minister alleged that the former Chief Minister spent Rs 15 crore to have his photo printed on the pattadar passbooks, replacing the State emblem. “His (Jagan’s) fixation on having his image on everything has severely dented the State exchequer. He spent a sum of Rs 650 crore to get his picture fixed on 77 lakh boundary pillars. Removing these images will cost another Rs 15 crore. The Chief Minister has instructed officials to formulate plans to use the boundary stones for any other purpose,” the minister explained.
Further, he said a discussion was held on the proposed Land Grabbing Act. “The 1982 Land Grabbing Act, implemented by the Gujarat government, will further be modified and made stricter to ensure justice to the real landowners and Dalits, who were given assigned lands, but were encroached by others using various means,” he added. On the issue of transfers of RDOs, he said a decision on inter-zonal transfers will be taken shortly.