Minister Ponguleti made it clear that local body elections in the state will be held only after the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process is completed. However, he said there is still no clarity on which elections will come first, adding that a decision on this would be taken soon. Speaking during an informal media chat, the minister touched on several key issues, including state politics, land problems, and the implementation of welfare schemes. Ponguleti asserted that there are no internal rifts within the party and that coordination among leaders is good. He hit out at opposition parties and rivals, alleging they were deliberately spreading false propaganda against the government.
The minister said land re-survey is currently in full swing across the state. He alleged that during the previous BRS government’s tenure, more acres than actually existed were recorded in Dharani pattadar passbooks in order to benefit from the Rythu Bandhu scheme. He said all issues in Dharani would be fully resolved, and new pattas would soon be issued through Bhu Bharati for cases that have been cleared. However, he clarified that in certain disputed cases, permissions would necessarily have to be obtained from the courts.
The minister assured that genuine beneficiaries who are actually cultivating the land would be given possession rights at the same location where the land exists. He noted that the state has over 80,000 acres of assigned lands, and said the government is considering ways to ensure justice for poor farmers who purchased assigned lands in the past, so they don’t suffer complete losses. He added that it had come to the government’s notice that some people had built large apartment complexes on Dharani lands listed in the “prohibited” category, and that appropriate action would be taken on this as well.
Minister Ponguleti revealed that double-bedroom houses built during the previous BRS government’s tenure are leaking heavily during rains due to poor construction quality, and that the government would soon get all such houses repaired. On the other hand, he said the Indiramma Illu scheme, being taken up prominently by the Praja Prabhutvam (people’s government), is receiving unprecedented support from the public.
He criticized BRS leaders, saying that unable to digest the overwhelming response this scheme is getting, they are making baseless allegations against the government.