VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill 2024 was introduced in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, and it is expected to be passed after due discussion in the coming days.
Explaining the objectives of the bill, Minister for Revenue, Registration & Stamps Anagani Satya Prasad explained that land grabbing remains a pressing issue in the State, causing severe hardship to numerous landowners. Rapid urbanisation, commercialisation and industrialisation are the primary catalysts for this phenomenon, he said.
He said it has come to the notice of the government that there are attempts on the part of certain lawless persons operating individually or in groups to grab either by force or by deceit or otherwise, lands belonging to the government, public sector undertakings, local bodies, religious or charitable institutions or endowments, including Waqf as well as private individuals.
He said the land grabbers are setting up fictitious claims and indulging in large scale fraudulent sale of land through unscrupulous real estate dealers or otherwise.
As public order is also adversely affected by such unlawful activities of land grabbers in the State. Hence, it is felt necessary to provide a more comprehensive legal framework to curb such unlawful activities by enacting a more stringent law in this regard, he said.
The government has proposed to bring in stringent AP Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act into force by repealing the existing AP Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 1982.
Apart from declaring land grabbing as unlawful, the government proposes to prohibit land grabbing not only in urban and urbanisable areas but also in rural areas as the cost of land is soaring up due to rapid urbanisation, he said.
The Dr NTR University of Health Science Act (Amendment) Bill, and AP (Andhra Area) Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Medical Practitioners Registration Act, 1956 (Amendment) Bill, the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Duty Act, 1939 (Amendment) Bill were also introduced in the State Assembly on Thursday.