The Opposition-sponsored maha dharna against land scandals in Visakhapatnam district has no logic as the government has already ordered an inquiry by the SIT and the Opposition should present any evidence it has to it, R&B Minister Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu has said. The Minister, who stirred a hornet’s nest by his comments against land scandals and involvement of leaders that forced HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao also to write a letter, said he himself had first raised the issue in public interest and not the Opposition leaders.
The SIT probe would help the affected people, he added. The government was firm on carrying out the probe not only into the tampering of records of the government land but encroachment of private land and also the alleged duping of farmers of Mudapaka in Pendurti mandal, the Minister said at a press conference.
The SIT had been given two months with an upright officer heading it and people could approach it with their grievances.
CM’s directive to DGP
The Chief Minister who ordered the SIT specifically asked the DGP to take action against anyone involved, irrespective of party affiliations. He would not have ordered a SIT inquiry had he wanted to dilute it, the Minister pointed out. There would be some meaning if a dharna was staged if there was no useful result from the SIT inquiry, the Minister said.
Mr. Patrudu questioned the NOCs given by Dharmana Prasada Rao during his tenure as Revenue Minister and those by Botcha Satyanarayana and N. Raghuveera Reddy as Ministers.
Mr. Patrudu said he and his Cabinet colleague Mr. Srinivasa Rao sought an inquiry. He, however, refused to comment on the contents of his letter that provided ammunition to the Opposition stating that it was a party affair.
Quoting instances, he said a woman had records of 20 acres of land inherited from her father, but the land could not be found now. During his recent trip to Singapore, a woman, Subhadra, and her family brought to his notice encroachment by force of 1.36 acres and the threats to them.
Party (Urban) president and MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar, general secretary Ch.V. Pattabhiram, and former corporator Kona Tata Rao were present.
