Zilla Parishad rushes to secure 488.61 acres school lands

Zilla Parishad secures 488.61 acres of school land across three districts to combat encroachment and protect educational spaces.

The Zilla Parishad (ZP) authorities across Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Alluri Sitharama Raju, are on a mission to protect government land and vacant plots from “land grabbers” and legal battles amid the soaring land prices.

Speaking to The Hindu on Monday (March 2), ZP Chief Executive Officer P. Narayana Murthy said: “This isn’t just about fighting off encroachers; it is also about getting the house in order before a major administrative change, likely from October 2026. The present body’s tenure will end in September 2026.”

“We are currently securing the lands of ZP schools across the three districts,” he said, noting that The school playgrounds and vacant plots are prime targets for illegal construction and “ancestral” claims.

He hinted that as the new districts prepare to have their own independent ZP bodies, every land record must be updated and ready for a smooth handover.

For years, a major loophole has put school lands at risk. In many villages, these plots are still listed in old records as “village common land” (Grama Kantham) instead of being registered to the Education Department.

To close this loophole, the ZP has asked District Collectors to update the official “1(B)” and “Adangal” documents during the State’s ongoing land survey. By fixing these records, the ZP aims to prove its ownership beyond any doubt.