Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh [Images] will pay a one-day visit to Andhra Pradesh on August 21 to launch the programme for distribution of 1 lakh acres of land to the landless poor.

Briefing newsmen after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening, Information Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that Andhra Pradesh would become the first state in the country to distribute 2.5 lakh acres of land in a span of just seven months.

The minister recalled that the state had created a history of sorts by distributing 1.5 lakh acres of land on a single day --that is, Republic Day, January 26, 2005 -- to the landless poor in 22 rural districts in the state.

It was a historic decision taken by the government to provide land to the landless poor and assist them to take up development of the assigned lands.

Dr Singh will launch the second phase of the land distribution programme in Medak district on August 21. He would also disburse assistance of  Rs 250 crore for the development of assigned lands in the district.

The land distribution programme will be taken up in other districts on August 23. District ministers and incharge ministers will participate in the programme in the Revenue Divisional Offices in their respective districts.

Referring to other decisions of the Cabinet, Shabbir said that the state cabinet decided to represent to the central government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the recent judgement of the seven-member Constitution bench abolishing the state quota and reservations in unaided, private minority and non-minority colleges.

The Cabinet felt that the apex court judgement would affect the interests of the students belonging to weaker sections by denying them an opportunity to pursue professional education in private colleges.