Revenue Department Special Chief Secretary RP Sisodia Interview : ఏపీ ల్యాండ్ గ్రాబింగ్ ప్రొహిబిషన్ యాక్ట్ (AP Land Grabbing Prohibition Act) ద్వారా భూ ఆక్రమణదారులను గుర్తించి కఠిన చర్యలు తీసుకుంటామని రెవెన్యూ శాఖ ప్రత్యేక ప్రధాన కార్యదర్శి ఆర్పీ సిసోదియా తెలిపారు. పట్టణ, గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాల్లో భూ ఆక్రమణలపై ఈ చట్టం ద్వారా చర్యలు తీసుకునే అవకాశం ఉందని స్పష్టం చేశారు.
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00:00The Andhra Pradesh Government has introduced the Land Grabbing Prohibition Bill 2024.
00:06To talk about this, RPC Sodia, the Chief Executive Officer of the Revenue Sector, is here with us.
00:10Sir, what is this bill and what is the purpose of this bill?
00:14There are a lot of complaints about land grabbing.
00:17We are getting information that the number of land grabbing cases has increased.
00:23In 1982, in Andhra Pradesh, in United Andhra Pradesh, there was something called the Land Grabbing Prohibition Act.
00:29Due to the mild provisions in the Act, the Act did not work effectively.
00:37So now, a stringent Act has to be introduced.
00:40If there are more punishments and penalties, at least the land grabbing people will be punished.
00:48Similarly, the people who are going to land grab, whoever has that intention,
00:53at least they will step back out of fear.
00:56This bill was introduced with the intention that such efforts will not be made.
01:00If there are no major punishments, what measures will be taken?
01:03First, the definition of land grabbing is very comprehensive.
01:07Land grabbing can be done directly or indirectly.
01:11It can be done out of fear or out of intimidation.
01:14So, there is a very wide definition.
01:17All kinds of property grabbing attempts are in the definition.
01:23Penalties and punishments are very stringent.
01:26From 10 years to 14 years, jail punishment.
01:30Land grabbing is allowed.
01:32In the same way, from the land grabbing people,
01:35the market value of the land grabbing property can be set as a penalty.
01:41We are investigating special courts.
01:45In the old act, there were special courts and tribunals.
01:48We proposed to put special courts in this.
01:52In the same way, a public prosecutor,
01:55depending on the need, one, two, three, as many public prosecutors as required,
02:02in the same way, the burden of proof will be on the land grabber.
02:08He has to prove that he did not grab.
02:12In the old act, the government is the prosecutor always.
02:16The government has to prove that he grabbed.
02:19Now, after the case is over, he has to prove that
02:22this is not his legitimate property, this is not his legitimate right.
02:26In the same way, he has to move forward.
02:28How do you identify a land grabber?
02:30Actually, there are two periods in a dispute.
02:33How do you identify a land grabber?
02:35How does he have to prove it?
02:37Directly, you cannot file an information report.
02:40There can be a private dispute.
02:43Or, there can be a family dispute.
02:46Suppose, someone grabs my land and leaves.
02:50There can be property disputes.
02:52We are not talking about property disputes here.
02:54Here, we are talking about a person grabbing another person's property without any rights.
03:03So, it comes in the definition.
03:05In the same way, if it is proved during litigation and prosecution, then it is punished.
03:11In the case of this land grabber, some people may have made mistakes.
03:16There may have been documents made to arrest him.
03:20What does the bill say about that?
03:23What is the content of the bill?
03:25The person who facilitated the land grabbing will also be punished.
03:31In the same way, if there are officials involved in this, they will be disciplined.
03:38The government land will also be attacked.
03:41That is why I said that the definition of land grabbing is wide.
03:46It can be government land or private land.
03:49If it is private land, then the land given to the poor, the land given to the SCSTs or the land given to the D-Patta,
03:56if someone is forced to take it or if it is confiscated,
04:00if the land is taken, then the act will be imposed on them.
04:05What do the Benamis do?
04:12The Benamis are equally culpable.
04:16We are calling them Benamis.
04:19But if a person is forced to take a property,
04:25and if the property is in the name of that person,
04:28it is assumed that he is the land grabber.
04:30The people who are behind it,
04:32because there is a fear,
04:35so the Benamis are also coming forward.
04:39Once the law comes into effect, the Benamis will also step back.
04:43They will also be careful.
04:46For example, if it is a land grabbing case,
04:51I have two houses and 10 acres of land.
04:54I have to prove that I have earned 10 acres of land with my own earnings.
05:01If I cannot prove it, it will be an assumption.
05:04It is also in the law that these properties came due to land grab.
05:11If the Land Grabbing Prohibition Act comes into effect in 2024,
05:15will the land be confiscated?
05:18Or will the land be confiscated?
05:21As on the date of coming into force of the act,
05:27anyone who is in possession of a grabbed property,
05:32can file a case against him.
05:34So, the land grabbing happened 10 years ago.
05:38But even today, if a land grabber is in possession of a property,
05:42a case can be filed against him.
05:44You operated in Kshetra Sthayam after the Revenues Act,
05:48and took benefits from there.
05:50How many benefits did you get?
05:52Did you get this amount based on those benefits?
05:55If you go to one place, you will get a few complaints.
05:58Up to 300 complaints were received in Madanpalli.
06:01Up to 200 complaints were received in Vaisakapatnam.
06:04In some cases, there are such cases.
06:07But, I did not do this as an officer.
06:11The Honorable Chief Minister,
06:14said this during the White Paper release,
06:20that the value of the property will increase day by day.
06:25In the past, the value of 5 acres of land was very low.
06:31Today, the value of land, airports, ports, and highways
06:38are increasing day by day.
06:40The value of the property is also increasing.
06:43Attempts on grabbing are also increasing.
06:46We need to deter all these.
06:49In 2020, the Gujarat Act was introduced.
06:54We came to know that it is very effective.
06:58So, we studied the Gujarat Act.
07:02We also discussed the benefits of the Gujarat Act.
07:07After the introduction of the Act,
07:09did the old 1982 Act get repealed?
07:12It did not get repealed.
07:14There is a specific section in the Act.
07:16The Act 1982 is repealed hereby.
07:20Once the Legislative Assembly approves it,
07:24that bill gets repealed.