Desaraju Surya
AMARAVATI: If what transpired in the meeting of Andhra Pradesh Council of Ministers on July 9 is an indicator, the ill-conceived Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) 2.0 in the Amaravati Capital Region actually may not happen at all, as all constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance government dread a clear “negative political fallout”.
The main point of concern, as expressed by the Cabinet, barring the Chief Minister and the Municipal Administration Minister, was the flagrant unhappiness among people of the region due to lack of “any development” in the last 10 years in respect of Amaravati Capital City.
For the record, the Cabinet that met here on July 9 referred the proposal, “authorising the Commissioner, AP Capital Region Development Authority, to initiate Land Pooling Scheme within the Capital Region”, to the Group of Ministers (that is currently engaged in allotment of land to various entities in Amaravati Capital City) to “talk to and convince the farmers”.
Off-the-record, those at the helm of affairs maintain that the scheme is “as good as shelved”.
A couple of ministers, who spoke in private on the “heated discussion” in the Cabinet on the subject, nearly gave a blow-by-blow account of what happened during that one-and-a-half hour.
Many ministers pointed out that people of the region were “largely opposed” to the new land pooling exercise. “There is serious displeasure and resentment among people when we toured the villages ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit in May,” the Jana Sena members said.
“We are also giving a chance to the opposition to hit us,” Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan said.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, however, tried to make light of the opposition (YSR Congress) saying, “What is this opposition? It is nothing but criminals, unlike the Congress. In those days we used to effectively deal with them (Congress) through political manoeuvring.”
“You people talk a lot but what have you done (to counter the opposition),” Chandrababu asked.
Turning to Human Resources and Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, but seemingly addressing the Cabinet ministers in general, Chandrababu snubbed: “I asked you to go and inspect the (ongoing) works in Amaravati. How many of you have gone and seen?”
Lokesh could only lower his head and remain silent.
When someone pointed out that bureaucrats come up with varied proposals, Jana Sena Minister Nadendla Manohar remarked that even Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana “behaves in a bureaucratic fashion”!
“Public perception is different. There will be a heavy political fallout,” many ministers warned, obviously implying that the proposed LPS 2.0 be not implemented.
“All through, the Chief Minister appeared ‘irritated’ as one minister after the other spoke against the LPS 2.0. Narayana was virtually dumbfounded as he made a lame attempt to defend the scheme,” a senior minister revealed, on condition of anonymity.
The state government has identified a total of 34,964 acres of land in 13 villages under three mandals in the so-called Amaravati Capital Region, that is outside the 217- sq. km. Capital City.
Of the total, only 5,207.42 acres is government and 26,369.5 acres is private patta land.
In the first leg of LPS 2.0, the government planned to pool about 20,000 acres in six villages.
Interestingly, the Land Pooling Scheme-2025 is not limited to the identified 13 villages but will extend to over 8,300 sq. km. that is notified as the “Amaravati Capital Region” and there is every possibility that the government may seek to implement it elsewhere also in future in the name of development of the ‘region’.