6,802 apply for land regularisation in GVMC

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has received an overwhelming response for the state government scheme of regularization of unobjectionable encroachments in government lands by way of dwelling units in urban areas to an extent up to 100 square yards as per GO MS No 296 dated August 12, 2015.
According to GVMC officials, as many 6802 applications were received so far for the scheme from various parts of the city, particularly from Madhurawada, Kapparada, Vepagunta, Simhachalam, Pendurty and Rushikonda.Interestingly, all these applicants have also applied for houses under various other schemes also in the corporation limits, said a senior GVMC official.
The scheme was launched after people and elected representatives submitted to the state that a large number of poor families had encroached on government lands in urban areas and constructed dwelling houses. But since they have not been issued any pattas, they are under constant threat of eviction removal and also not able to obtain permission from the urban local body to improve or rebuild the houses, they said. The state government then decided to regularize such dwellings provided there are no objections to each individual case.
The scheme came in to operation on August 15, 2015. The cut off date for the dwellings seeking regularization was January 1, 2014. The state also decided to regularize those cases where house sites in government lands were provided to beneficiaries under any rehabilitation scheme without a patta. Only families who are below poverty line (BPL) are eligible for regularization.
Objectionable sites include sites affected under the alignment of master plan, zonal development plan or road development plan, constructions which have come up in open spaces of approved layouts, constructions made on alignment of water bodies, grave yards, foreshore areas of drinking water tanks, irrigation tanks and treatment plants, areas earmarked for treatment plants, green belts, buffer zones, sites required for public purpose, lands which are in the opinion of the committee area highly valuable and can't be considered for transfer of rights and public footpaths.