CM distributes land in M'bubnagar

Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Wednesday launched the fifth phase of land distribution programme to the landless from Shadnagar in Mahabubnagar district coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.

Talking to reporters after formally launching the land distribution programme, he stated that it’s a historic day for the state and recalled former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who introduced many welfare schemes to upgrade the lives of the poor and the downtrodden.

He directed the officials to prepare a comprehensive plan to help the landless poor to turn the land cultivable (arable). He asked them to ensure provision of bank loans for the landless poor so that they were made cultivable.

He said 1,00,615 acres had been identified for distribution to over 69,506 beneficiaries in the 5th phase in 22 districts in the State. Each family is given land not exceeding 2.5 acres of wet land or five acres of dry land including the land originally held by the family. So far the government has distributed surplus land to the tune of 6.03 lakh acres to 4.33 lakh beneficiaries.

The government would earmark 50 per cent of the total land being distributed in the fifth phase exclusively for the SC/ST beneficiaries, he stated.

Rosaiah reiterated that the state would continue all welfare schemes introduced by former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He said the health insurance policy under Rajiv Arogyasri, the brainchild of YSR, gave a new lease of life to the poor by providing corporate healthcare facilities at their doorsteps.

He reiterated that the government would continue the Rs 2 a KG rice scheme at any cost.