The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has joined the lawyers’ protest against the AP Land Titling Act on Wednesday, March 6. The AP land Titling Act passed by the Andhra Pradesh government mandates the compulsory registration of all land and is currently undertaking surveys across all its districts.
The YSRCP-led state government under CM Jagan stated that the efforts are part of the government’s move to facilitate permanent title for immovable properties and a new system for more efficient dispute resolution. The TDP, Andhra Congress and several lawyers have said that instead of bringing about efficient resolution of existing disputes, such compulsory registration and resurveys will lead to newer disputes.
The Act’s provision that appeals against the tribunal cannot be filed in lower courts, but only in the High Court, also saw strong opposition from advocates practising in Andhra.
Andhra Congress chief YS Sharmila on Wednesday alleged that the YS Jagan-led government was stealing lands from people. Criticising the YSRCP’s Vision Visakhapatnam document released on Tuesday, March 5, Sharmila said, “YSRCP’s vision of Visakhapatnam is to knock down hills, sell ports and swallow lands.”
“We believe that the law was brought in with ill intent. For the last sixty days, lawyers have been protesting against a law which would take lands away from people and steal their property,” said APCC working president Shaik Mastan Vali.
Also Read: AP brings in compulsory land registration: Lawyers say it will lead to more disputes
In response to a PIL filed against the Act in the High Court, the AP advocate general Subrahmanyam Sriram said on Wednesday that the Act was not being implemented as of the moment so there was no cause for worry. The court adjourned the case and asked the state government to file a counter four weeks from March 6.