Secret GO: All Set For Sale Of Government Lands!

The cash-strapped Andhra Pradesh government shifted focus on earning revenue by selling off government lands secretly. However, the whole issue came to light when GO 243 was issued making amendment to the land allotment policy adopted in September 2012, to protect government lands.

The policy was amended to permit the government sell away state lands as and when needed.

The GO 571 was issued by the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in 2012 in united Andhra Pradesh after a long exercise that began in 2011, to regulate sale and allocation of government to private companies. The policy also insisted that government lands cannot be sold only to earn revenue. The government formed Andhra Pradesh Land Management Authority to ensure that the 44-page policy guidelines were followed without violation.

After being voted to power, Jagan wanted to sell government lands and brought the central organization NPCC on to the scene. In November 2019, Jagan government decided to auction government lands under the supervision of NPCC. The government lands that should be sold would be linked to “Mission Build AP” and then auctioned, for which GO 447 was issued.

However, the court objected to selling the government lands just to earn revenue and hence, the YCP government issued GO 243 but kept it away from the e-gazette even when it was supposed to do it. The GO needed approval by the Cabinet and even that formality was completed but the GO has still been kept a secret.

It has to be seen how GO 243 would be used by the YCP government to earn revenue and bail out the state from the financial crisis.