The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday, September 19, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad to give legal support for the government’s resurvey project of agricultural and non-agricultural lands in the state. In a release, the university said that NALSAR’s Centre for Tribal and Land Rights (CTLR) will provide legal support in drafting, reviewing and preparing legal documents; imparting training; undertaking legal research; resolving land disputes; and spreading legal awareness among the farmers.
The Andhra government’s project, called the YSR Jagananna Saswatha Bhoo Hakku Mariyu Bhoo Raksha Padhakam, is expected to be executed in a period of three years, with a budget outlay of Rs 1,000 crores. “Every parcel of land in the state is going to be surveyed and numbered with geo-quadrants,” the release said.
Professor V Balakista Reddy, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, said in the release that under this project, the CTLR will provide technical support in reviewing, drafting and preparing legal documents pertaining to implementation of the programme. NALSAR will also impart training to various stakeholders involved in the implementation of the resurvey project. It will also design and implement innovative pilot programmes for strengthening and creatively implementing the resurvey project.
The university will also help prepare awareness material for educating the farmers on the resurvey project and take steps for spreading awareness and undertake research on the aspects pertaining to survey, land rights, land laws and land dispute resolutions. Under the project, NALSAR’s Centre for Tribal and Land Rights will also take up any other initiative pertaining to farmers and their legal rights and undertake documentation and policy advocacy activities such as lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences.
It will also work on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms pertaining to land disputes and undertake any other activities which are mutually agreed by the parties from time to time.