The state govt is contemplating to bring about 2.5 lakh acres of assigned lands into prohibitory lands register to protect the land from going into the wrong hands. After completion of revenue records, the govt found that about 2.5 lakh acres of assigned land has been illegally removed from the prohibitory list by the previous YSRCP regime. The govt found that thousands of acres of assigned lands have been removed from the prohibitory register only to help influential people and then ruling party leaders. In certain areas, the land assigned even after 2004 were given free-hold status which is against the law.

The previous govt amended the Prohibition of Transfer (PoT) Act to free up the assigned lands in the premise of giving sale rights to the poor. The govt wanted to give full sale rights to the original assignees in order to ensure fair and reasonable market prices during the sale.

However, the land is saleable only after the expiry of 20 years of assignment granted by the govt. This effectively means that all those who got the land from the govt much before 2004 could get the sale rights.

The previous govt claimed that it had amended the POT Act to help the poor dispose of the land in their hands during their emergencies and personal needs like weddings or studies of their children.

As per the clauses in the original Act, assigned land could never be sold to third party. However, many of the original assignees sold their assets at lower prices due to the restriction on sale and registration of the deed. Taking such instances into consideration, the previous govt changed the legislation to empower the poor with the sale rights of the assigned lands.

Curiously, land sharks and then ruling party leaders made the most of the amendment of the Act by usurping land from the poor.

After Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA came into power in June, the state govt set its focus on digging deep into the irregularities took place during the previous regime and unearthed shocking facts about then ruling party leaders including then ministers getting huge extent of land transferred to their families.