Hyderabad: Land parcels measuring 1.75 lakh acre across Andhra Pradesh, estimated to be worth Rs 35,576 crore, including some private properties, were misappropriated by various means during Jagan Mohan Reddy’s five-year rule, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has alleged.
In addition, “the looting of mineral wealth and sand” coupled with “inefficient administration of the sector” caused a loss of Rs 19,137 crore to the exchequer, Naidu said Monday while releasing a white paper on ‘Misappropriation of natural resources – Lands, mines-minerals and forests.’
The document is fourth in the series of white papers the CM is bringing out to make public “the misadministration and misdeeds of the YSRCP regime.”
Naidu earlier released white papers on the Polavaram irrigation and Amaravati capital projects and state’s power sector. A paper on AP’s finances is expected next.
The CM pegged the alleged land-related embezzlements in Visakhapatnam, which Jagan proposed as executive capital under his controversial three capital formula, alone at Rs 4,469 crore.
In a PowerPoint presentation at the AP Secretariat, Naidu cited the examples of the Rama Naidu studios, Hayagreeva, Daspalla etc prime realty lands in the port city, and mentioned realtor and YSRCP’s former Visakhapatnam MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana as a major beneficiary.
“12.51 acres of land was alienated to Hayagreeva for an old age home. However, this has been diverted for residential development, with 15 sale deeds already executed. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) issued a stop-work order on technical grounds, and an FIR was filed against former MP MVV Satyanarayana and his close associate,” the white paper said.
“MVV Satyanarayana’s company, MVV&MK Housing Company, undertook apartment development on 10.57 acres in Kurmannapalem through a development agreement with 11 landowners. The landowners were allegedly cheated, receiving only 0.96 percent of the project share. Construction commenced without converting the land from agricultural to non-agricultural use, and an exemption was requested for delayed conversion payment.”
MVV Peak at Siripuram, a property in Vizag’s heart belonging to the Canadian Baptist Mission, is in an ownership dispute between two groups. However, building permission was granted to MVV Builders. Additionally, over Rs 65 crore worth of TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) was allegedly granted out of turn.
In addition to several such transgressions, 15 acres land was alienated at Rs 1 lakh per acre, significantly lower than the market value of Rs 73 lakh per acre, to Visakha Sarada Peetham under a government order in February, 2022, according to the document.
The Sarada Peetham is headed by Jagan’s spiritual guru Swami Swaroopanandendra Saraswathi, who had conducted several elaborate rituals for the YSRCP chief’s well-being.
“YSRCP leaders used to identify properties under family disputes, unclaimed private lands, empty sites, government lands in order to grab them. Fake wills, partition deeds, family member certificates, death certificates, land conversion certificates, sale deeds were created and stock witnesses were engaged for the purpose. They created civil litigation, forcibly occupied properties with aid of goondas and active connivance of government officials,” Naidu said.
In Ongole alone, he said, over Rs 100 crore worth residential land was grabbed from 112 victims, using 572 fake documents.
In Tirupati, poramboke (government land) and other lands of the state, lake areas, etc worth Rs 270 crore were grabbed by removing them from restrictions, Naidu added.
Naidu said around Rs 3,000 crore misappropriation took place under the house site pattas for poor scheme. “YSRCP leaders were purchasing lands of citizens at a low cost, and then the government was acquiring these lands from YSRCP leaders at a very high cost. In Gudivada, Kesarapalle, etc places land was acquired at five times the value. Also, ineligible persons benefited under the housing scheme.”
Similarly, 101.16 acres of mangrove forest in Kakinada district were allegedly diverted for house sites. After huge expenditure on land development, the National Green Tribunal stopped all the work and imposed a fine on the state.
The CM said that 40.78 acres costing over Rs 300 crore were allotted to YSRCP “practically free of cost in all the 26 districts.” Construction of YSRCP party offices commenced without building permits, he added.
Also Read: Andhra power sector facing ‘legacy losses’ of Rs 1.29 lakh cr — Naidu’s white paper blames Jagan
Anti-land grabbing act
Based on district reports, court cases and public complaints, Naidu said the total land- related frauds from 2019 to 2024 assessed so far account to Rs 35,576 crore.
“The sea of public complaints indicates that the actual quantum of land grabbing under YSRCP is much higher. To protect law abiding citizens from unscrupulous criminals, our government invites them to file complaints on a soon-to-be launched website. Government has decided to bring the ‘AP Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act’ on lines of the Gujarat Land Grabbing Act 2020, providing for stringent punishment for land grabbers,” he said.
Naidu pointed out that Rs 653 crore was wasted in the name of a land survey and issuance of fresh passbooks with Jagan’s image. “Such books will be re-printed with AP government logo.”
Naidu said the state suffered a loss of over Rs 7,000 crore due to rampant illegal sand mining, extensive violation of norms and over Rs 1,000 crore in minor minerals.
The CM listed reasons like inefficient governance, inappropriate policy making, monitoring mechanisms rendered ineffective resulting in no-control on quantity excavated and transported, forceful takeover of quarry leases under threat of official action, favouritism in grant of leases to YSRCP supporters as having resulted “in fall in mineral revenue collection to the tune of Rs 9,750 crore from 2019 to 2024.”
Without naming Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Naidu expressed dismay over the same minister in Jagan cabinet given the charge of mines and forests. “Where are the checks and balances? Probably such a thing happened for the first time. This is akin to handing over the burglar keys to the treasure!”
“Damages due to environmental violations are unquantifiable and may run into thousands of crores of rupees. Effects of these violations will harm the generations to come, besides monetary losses,” said Naidu, blaming Jagan for the destruction.
He also said that large scale smuggling of precious Redsanders wood from Seshachalam forests around Tirupati took place with the connivance and involvement of the political leaders in the previous government.
During 2019-2023, 836.12 MT of Redsanders were sold through government involvement, in comparison to 5,948 MT sold during 2014-2019 i.e., previous TDP tenure. Rs 441 crore revenue realised during 2019-24 against Rs 1,623 crore during 2014-19, said the white paper.
Naidu said the smuggling control was loosened during Jagan’s rule. While 3,098 vehicles were seized during 2014-19, the tally stood at 1,104 during 2019-24. As many as 12,995 persons involved in Redsanders smuggling were arrested during 2014-19 compared to 4,246 persons during 2019-24.
Posts were deliberately not filled in Red Sanders Armed Special Task Force, some frontline forest staff were sent away from the wood rich forest area to facilitate smuggling, said the paper. “Redsanders Protection Scheme received inadequate budgetary support.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)