Naidu hands over pattas to 28,445 in Vizag

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday handed over conveyance deeds to 28,445 beneficiaries in Visakhapatnam, saying the government had replaced “fear with confidence” and “demolitions with pattas and ownership rights”.

Speaking at the “Pedalaku Pattabhishekam, Mee Illu Mee Hakku” programme, he said the deeds would end decades of uncertainty for poor families living without formal ownership rights over their house sites.

The government has regularised 399 acres across 11 mandals, with a registration value of about Rs 8,874 crore. Mr Naidu alleged that the previous YSR Congress government had carried out widespread demolitions. He advised beneficiaries not to sell their properties merely because land prices had risen. “These assets will provide security, confidence and dignity to your families and future generations,” he said.

On drinking water, he said El Niño had aggravated concerns in the city and other parts of the state. Godavari water would be brought to Visakhapatnam through the Polavaram project, he said, adding that it had already reached Anakapalli through the Polavaram Left Main Canal. “Through river-linking initiatives, we will ensure that there is no shortage of water,” he said.

Describing Visakhapatnam as one of the country’s fastest-growing cities with the potential to become a global city, Mr Naidu directed officials to make it cleaner and greener on the lines of Tirumala, which has 89.4 per cent green cover.

He said more than five lakh houses had been built in the state in the past two years and five lakh more would be completed by March. The Visakhapatnam Railway Zone had begun operations and would soon become the country’s highest-earning zone, he added.