AP revenue minister faces heat in assembly over land grievances

Vijayawada: Revenue minister Anagani Satyaprasad on Friday came under fire from TDP legislators in the assembly on Friday, as several members lashed out at the revenue department for failing to resolve public grievances. Legislators raised the issue during Question Hour, saying they were under intense pressure from citizens — particularly over lands listed under Section 22-A (prohibited lands). They warned that they could no longer withstand public anger, with 20 months having passed since the government assumed office.Senior legislator Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary demanded the minister set a clear deadline for resolution, arguing that excuses about the previous govt's mistakes had worn thin. Ponnur MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar questioned why officials had not resolved house-site disputes under 22-A, noting that thousands of sites assigned nearly four decades ago remained locked in prohibitory registers despite repeated appeals. He expressed dismay at the minister's claim that grievances were already resolved, pointing out that conferences had been held but most issues remained pending.Narendra further alleged that land assigned to scheduled castes had been forcibly taken over by a former legislator in his constituency, yet remained unaddressed. Citizens, he said, continued to shuttle between govt offices without relief even after 20 months of NDA rule. Speaker Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu intervened, urging the minister to treat the matter seriously, as all legislators faced similar public backlash.In his response, Anagani assured the House that the govt was committed to resolving land disputes. He acknowledged that 61% of complaints received under the PGRS belonged to the revenue department. He added that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu was closely monitoring the issue with monthly reviews, and a Group of Ministers had been constituted to study the matter and submit recommendations. Directions had already been issued to district collectors to clear certain categories of cases without delay. "The govt is sensitive to the issue and will resolve all grievances on priority," he said.