VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday, decided to hold the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) in the State in abeyance.
Majority of the people in the State are apprehensive of the NPR and they feel that it is nothing but a move for placing them in detention camps, the Cabinet felt. It also passed a resolution requesting the Centre to change the questionnaire for the NPR.
Briefing the media at the Secretariat, Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani) said as there was a feeling of insecurity among some sections of people, the Cabinet resolved to stall the process of NPR in the State until it gets a response from the Centre.
“As many as 30 questions were used while taking up the Census in 2010. The State government will request the Centre to give the same questionnaire this time also and will hold the process in abeyance till we get a clarity on the same,” the minister explained. Asked whether the State government has the authority to stop the NPR, the minister said in a democratic nation, when a decision was imposing, it was not unconstitutional in appealing to the Centre to reconsider such decision.
The minister said that the government was making all arrangements for the distribution of house sites to 26 lakh poor people in the State on March 25, for which 43,141 acres of land have been earmarked. The pattas would be registered in the name of the beneficiaries on a stamp paper. All the colonies would be christened ‘YSR - Jagananna’ colonies.
Out of the total 43,141 acres of land kept ready for distribution, 26,976 acres is government land and 14,164 acres have been acquired. Land pooling system was not implemented in any district other than Visakhapatnam, the minister said, adding that the process of payment is going on to those who gave their lands to the government for the purpose.
The beneficiary will be given the right to mortgage the land within five years, in case of an exigency. The beneficiary will also be given a legal entitlement to sell the land after five years, in case of need, the minister said.
All the tahsildars have already been designated as joint sub-registrars and the MRO offices also designated as joint sub-registrar offices to make the registration process smooth.
The plots would be developed and marking is being done on a war footing. Gravel roads will be laid before the land is handed over to the beneficiaries.
