ONGOLE: With Ugadi inching closer, district officials in Prakasam are facing difficulties in acquiring lands for the State government’s housing scheme as occupants of several government lands and beneficiaries of other schemes are strongly protesting land survey activities.
According to the officials, a total of 1,22,920 beneficiaries are identified in the district for the housing scheme. As the government has decided to distribute house site pattas and constructed houses by Ugadi, the authorities have estimated that around 2,532 acres are required for the purpose.
Of the total, 1,860 acres of government lands are readily available. Meanwhile, the officials are yet to identify 570 acres due to protests by the encroachers and beneficiaries. Even in the district headquarters, Revenue and Housing departments are still on the lookout for suitable lands for the housing project.
Around 50 families in Sanjeevarayanpet of Giddaluru mandal opposed when the Revenue officials visited the village recently to survey their lands.
"Our grandfathers were given these lands by the government for housing 40-50 years ago. Three generations of our families have had the possession of the lands and now the revenue authorities threatened us to take them away for the newly-announced housing project. We request the authorities to sanction and re-allot these lands to our children under the scheme," Kommunuri Allurayya and his wife Ramalakshmiamma said.
The villagers, along with local leaders, submitted their grievance at the collectorate during Spandana last Monday.
Similarly, locals of Vadarevu-Peda Barava in Chirala mandal, Kanamalla Cheruvu in Singarayakonda mandal, Chadalavada in Naguluppalapadu mandal, Nandipadu in Maddipadu mandal, Podili mandal headquarters are also staging demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the government, in recent orders, decided to consider ‘poramboku’ lands and abandoned drainage channels for the purpose.