Vijayawada, September 30, 2026 (Journalist File): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday distributed land titles to 26,401 poor families in Vijayawada, saying the coalition government was working to resolve long-pending land issues and provide greater economic security to disadvantaged families.
Speaking at the “Pattabhishekam for the Poor” public meeting at Makineneni Basavapunnayya Stadium in Vijayawada, Naidu said the titles covered 707 acres of land valued at about Rs. 28,112 crore. The land represents around 34 lakh square yards, with the value of individual plots estimated at between Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 2 crore, according to the state government.
Naidu said land rights had already been granted to around 28,000 people in Visakhapatnam and 5,800 families in Mangalagiri. With the latest distribution in Vijayawada, the number of poor beneficiaries receiving land titles through the initiative has reached about 60,000. He said the total value of land distributed under the initiative was around Rs. 52,000 crore.
The chief minister said the government had taken up the long-standing land disputes after considering the difficulties faced by poor families for decades. He urged beneficiaries to preserve the land documents carefully and said the government was working to resolve similar land-related issues in several parts of the state.
Naidu said the government was also undertaking a statewide re-survey of land and issuing new title deeds carrying the state emblem. He said the objective was to create a system that would reduce disputes and provide greater certainty over land ownership.
The chief minister said the coalition government was simultaneously focusing on welfare, infrastructure development and wealth creation. He claimed that about Rs. 1.50 lakh crore had already been spent on development works.
On irrigation, Naidu said the government had completed the Pattiseema project despite opposition and had used the project to supply water to the Krishna delta. He said the government planned to complete the Polavaram project and bring water through gravity flow, while also transferring savings from the Krishna delta to Rayalaseema.
Naidu said the government planned to complete 36 projects over the next three years at an estimated cost of Rs. 35,000 crore. He also referred to the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project and said greater integration of river waters could help address water shortages across southern India.
The chief minister highlighted measures aimed at increasing household incomes and supporting vulnerable communities. He said the government was providing pensions on the first day of every month and supporting women through the Stree Shakti programme. He also cited initiatives for fishermen, auto-rickshaw drivers, weavers, Vaddera communities and toddy-tappers.
Naidu said the state government was seeking to increase women's participation in the workforce and referred to data that placed Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada among cities with relatively high female workforce participation. He said products made by self-help-group women were being marketed under the “Swayam” brand.
The government had completed about 5.5 lakh houses for beneficiaries, Naidu said, adding that another 5.5 lakh houses were planned to be provided by the following year. He said the government's objective was to ensure that every poor family had access to a house site, a home and piped drinking water.
Turning to urban development, Naidu said Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore and Visakhapatnam had gained recognition in global city assessments based on factors including quality of life, human resources and the environment. He said Vijayawada and Amaravati were being developed with greater connectivity, green spaces and cleaner energy.
He said Amaravati was being developed as a green and net-zero-oriented capital, with plans to strengthen road and rail connectivity. He also referred to proposed railway and road projects connecting Amaravati, Vijayawada and Guntur and said the three cities could increasingly function as an integrated urban region.
Naidu said the state had initiated urban development works worth Rs. 50,000 crore and rural works worth Rs. 11,000 crore. He also cited industrial and infrastructure projects, including the Kia facility in Anantapur, the Veligonda project near Markapur and the Bhogapuram airport project in Vizianagaram, as developments that could transform their respective regions.
The chief minister said the government was also working to expand ports, airports, roads and railway networks to help the state attract investment and create employment opportunities.
Naidu criticised the previous YSR Congress Party government, alleging that the 2019-24 period had caused significant damage to the state's development. He accused opposition groups of obstructing development projects and criticised what he described as negative campaigns against the coalition government's programmes.
He urged beneficiaries of government schemes to share their experiences on social media, saying this would provide an alternative to what he described as misinformation being circulated online.
Naidu said the coalition government's broader objective was to move Andhra Pradesh toward what he described as “Swarna Andhra” — a more prosperous state driven by development, welfare, investment and employment.
State ministers Anagani Satya Prasad, Satya Kumar Yadav and Nadendla Manohar, along with elected representatives from NTR and Krishna districts, attended the programme.
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