Poor squatters to get land rights 

VIJAYAWADA:  The revenue department on Thursday issued an order for regularisation of encroachments in unobjectionable government lands. As per the order, both Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families living in an encroached area up to 300 sq yards can file applications at any Mee Seva centre or Village Secretariats within 120 days and pay the requisite fee to get their houses regularised.

According to the order issued by revenue (assignment) secretary V Usha Rani, BPL families living in a place in the extent of less than 100 sq yards will need to pay only `1 for regularisation. The BPL families living in an extent of 100 - 300 sq yards will need to pay prevailing market value as decided by the district collector concerned.

APL families with houses in an extent of 0 - 300 sq yards will also have to pay market value as decided by the district collector concerned. The cut-off date for regularisation of encroachments in unobjectionable government lands shall be October 15.

It may be noted that the decision to regularise unobjectionable encroachments for a nominal price was taken by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in a review meeting on October 17. If anyone gets his/her encroached land regularised through this initiative, the order said, such beneficiaries shall not be eligible for any allotment of house site, even if they sell their regularised plot. 

In case of objectionable encroachments, the encroachers shall be rehabilitated by providing alternative sites and dwelling units. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development department along with Revenue department shall take up identification of objectionable encroachments, the order read.

The application filed by those living in unobjectionable encroachments will be sent for the scrutiny of an approval committee, which shall take a decision within 30 days. The regularisation will be done with a five year lock-in period, during which the property can’t be sold or purchased. After the lock-in period, they can make an outright sale or purchase.