VIJAYAWADA: The AP Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed the bill to repeal the Andhra Pradesh Land Titling Act, 2022 and also another bill to restore the name of Dr NTR University of Health Sciences to Dr YSR University of Health Sciences.
Describing the Land Titling Act as a horrific one, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the previous YSRC government enacted it without any knowledge, which created several problems.
Participating in the debate on the bill to repeal the Land Titling Act, Naidu said there was a spurt in the number of land disputes and the number also increased a lot in his Kuppam Assembly constituency. “As the MLA, the Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition, I have represented Kuppam for the past 40 years. But, for the past five years, more complaints have come from the people pertaining to land disputes,” he said.
Observing that 22A became a weapon for land settlements, Naidu said in case of the land owner not agreeing to the settlement, those in power would simply list the land under 22A category, and it would automatically become the government land. In case of acceptance, they would simply remove it from the purview of 22A, and it would become a private land. “Technology is very dangerous if it is with criminals, and it is very easy for them to tamper with land records,” Naidu observed.
Mentioning that pattadar passbooks being given to landowners with the government emblem all the years, he said former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy printed his photo on the passbooks, hurting the sentiments of people. “Though people were vexed with such acts, they could do nothing. As per the Act enacted by the YSRC regime, there was no authority for the civil courts to deal with land disputes and any one could be appointed as Land Titling Officers and such private persons would script the fate of the people. The GO related to the Act was also kept secret. As the comprehensive land survey of the previous regime had also increased the land disputes, the TDP-led NDA government has put it on hold, and it will come up with a proper plan, he said.
“As promised to the people, repealing the Land Titling Act is one of the signatures out of the first five made by me after taking charge as the CM. Later, we have approved it in the first Cabinet meeting, and now tabled it in the first session of the Assembly. This is our commitment,” Naidu asserted.
Earlier, Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad explained the reasons for repealing the Land Titling Act.
The bill to restore the name of Dr NTR University of Health Sciences to Dr YSR University of Health Sciences tabled by Health Minister Y Satya Kumar, also passed by the Assembly.