The Inspector of Survey in Survey and Land Records Department, Vizianagaram district, Gedela Lakshmi Ganeswara Rao, who was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday for possessing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, was known for his misconduct and corruption. But ACB officials baffled that despite his unsavoury record, Ganeswara Rao was managed to get focal posts.
In the past he was suspended four times and in August this year cases were registered against him by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating the alleged land scam in Visakhapatnam, for forgery, creation of false documents, tampering of revenue records and land grabbing. He was released on bail only last week.
But despite all his misconduct, he appears to occupy key posts such as in the past he worked as Deputy Surveyor in Jami, Gopalapuram and Dathi Rajeru of Vizianagaram district, in head office in Srikakulam, as Deputy Inspector of Survey in Machilipatnam, Inspector of Survey in Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam and Hyderabad head office. He was currently posted as Inspector of Survey in Survey and Land Records in Vizianagaram, before his fourth suspension.
Moreover, in December 2009, he was booked by the ACB under DA case and the case is under trial, said a senior ACB officer.
The ACB officials unearthed huge movable and immovable properties that included five house site plots, 19 apartment flats, 30.36 acres of agricultural land, one temple land under construction, bank balance of ₹10 lakh, 1 kg gold, 3.2 kg silver, four high-end cars and two high-end motorbikes. It is estimated that the market value of the assets seized exceed ₹100 crore.
Ganeswara Rao in connivance with the arrested Tehsildar M. Sankara Rao had tampered the land records in Madhurawada, Pardesipalem and PM Palem to alienate about 356 acres of government land, worth close to ₹3,560 crore, as per a conservative estimate by the police.
The police recovered 145 pattadar pass books (90 empty and 55 filled), records pertaining to 27 private persons whose names have been entered illegally in 1B register, old trust deed of MANSAS trust pertaining to Vizianagaram fort, 59 empty maharaja pattas, D-Form pattas, original survey settlement register, 40 title deeds, 30 empty house allotment pattas and 98 numbers of 9D namuna pattas, from him.
