Not knowing that the public hearing on the land scam, which was announced by Revenue Minister and Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy, had been cancelled, many people descended on the District Collector’s office to submit their grievances on Thursday.
The hearing, which was scheduled to be organised on the day, was cancelled as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered the constitution of a Special Investigating Team (SIT), comprising the police, revenue and judicial officials, to inquire into the scam in Visakhapatnam.
I did not know that the public hearing was cancelled. I came to represent my case, said Ch. Srinivasa Prasad, a senior citizen.
“I have been running from pillar to post to get my documents rectified and resume the land that has been under encroachment for the last two decades,” he said.
However, the complainants were allowed to meet Joint Collector G. Srijana, who gave them a patient hearing and accepted their complaints.
In all, 168 complaints were received from 26 mandals, said Ms. Srijana.
The highest number of complaints (44) was received from Visakhapatnam (rural), followed by Gajuwaka (22), Bheemunipatnam (15), Visakhapatnam (urban) 13, Pendurthi (14), Parawada (10), and Anakapalle (10).
On the nature of complaints, she said there were two records tampering cases, five pertain to Inam lands, 39 for mutations and issue of pattadar pass books, 45 private land disputes, 10 criminal offences, and six political victims and encroachment of ex-servicemen lands.
Ms. Srijana said all the complaints were sent to the respective departments for verification.
