Andhra University ropes in its law students to help untangle land issues in Visakhapatnam

The young legal eagles worked alongside Tahsildars and RDOs to sort out problems with 22-A lands in the city

A group of 27 students from B.R. Ambedkar College of Law, Andhra University, helped the State government untangle legal cobwebs surrounding land issues, particularly regarding lands falling under the 22(A) category, in recent months as part of an innovative internship.

In the first-of-its-kind initiative in Andhra Pradesh, the Visakhapatnam district administration came up with the idea to engage the law students (13 girls and 14 boys) on a two-month internship, where they worked alongside Revenue officers including Tahsildars and Revenue Divisional Officers in Bheemunipatnam, Gajuwaka, Anandapuram, Chinnagadili, Pendurthi, Visakhapatnam Rural and Visakhapatnam Collectorate.

Collector A. Mallikarjuna told The Hindu that the internship was aimed at providing legal aid to Revenue officials, with the students using their knowledge of law to come up with relevant provisions and citations to protect government lands.

“We have also planned a stipend for the students as an incentive. The stipend amount is yet to be finalised. This is the first step we have taken. We will continue such programmes with law students in the future as well,” Mr. Mallikarjuna said.

The students were all praise for the programme as it gave them a much-needed peek into the practical, day-to-day workings of the administration.

P. Rajeshwari, a final-year student who was part of the initiative, said that there was a lack of ‘legal literacy’ among government officials. “Basic knowledge of legal matters is crucial when it comes to protecting public lands,” Ms. Rajeshwari said.

“I appreciate the initiative taken by the district administration to resolve 22-A cases by setting up a committee with retired judges recently. This will take a lot of pressure off the shoulders of officials,” Ms. Rajeshwari said.