Andhra Pradesh set to strengthen law against land grabbing with new bill

The Andhra Pradesh government has taken a significant step towards addressing rampant land grabbing by proposing the Andhra Pradesh Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill-2024. This bill, if enacted, would repeal the existing 1982 Land Grabbing Act, establishing a more rigorous legal framework to curb land grabbing and provide justice to landowners across both urban and rural areas.

In recent years, Andhra Pradesh has faced a surge in land-grabbing incidents, attributed largely to rapid urbanisation, industrialization, and commercialization, Minister for Revenue Anagani Satya Prasad told  after approving the proposal by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday (November 6). Despite the legal protections offered by the 1982 Act, the increase in land-grabbing cases has left numerous landowners vulnerable, he added. This new bill aims to address these challenges head-on by increasing penalties, streamlining judicial processes, and expanding its coverage to rural areas, the Minister explained.