By demanding an investigation by the CBI into the alleged land scam in Visakhapatnam, the opposition parties appear to be turning the heat on the TDP government.
Hinting at the involvement of a Minister and TDP MLAs from the district in the land scam, Rajya Sabha member and YSR Congress leader Vijai Sai Reddy said on Thursday that the CBI would not intervene unless “we approach the court and get an order passed.”
“We also have to build public pressure to force the CBI to initiate an investigation,” he said.
He was speaking at an all-party meeting on the land scam here, which was attended by leaders of the CPI(M), the CPI, the Lok Satta, the BSP, and the Jana Sena.
Mr. Vijai Sai Reddy said the opposition parties should come onto one platform to stage a ‘maha dharna’ ahead of the proposed inquiry by IAS officers scheduled for June 15.
CPI(M) State Secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao said a survey of all the lands encroached should be conducted by the opposition parties and the victims before June 15 so that concrete proof could be placed before the inquiry committee.
Mr. Narasinga Rao pointed out that land assigned to the farmers 30-40 years ago could not be taken back as it attracted the Supreme Court’s ruling of ‘right to livelihood’.
“Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) is the biggest fraud by the TDP government,” he alleged.
The CPI(M) leader appreciated Minister Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu and BJP MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju for coming out openly against land grabbing.
YSRC leader Botcha Satyanarayana was highly critical of District Collector Pravin Kumar.
“How can the records go missing from the Collector’s office? According to him (Collector), the records had gone missing during cyclone Hudhud and they pertain to lands in Madhurwada, Kommadi, and other areas that are in question today,” he alleged.
Talking about LPS, Ganesh from Mudapaka said that farmers had been given patta passbooks about 40 years ago. Realtors had coerced 320 farmers into parting with their lands, he alleged.
YSRC district president Gudivada Amarnath spoke.
