VISAKHAPATNAM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing into the Vizag land scam, has intensified field visits to examine the veracity of the complaints related to land-related irregularities.
The SIT officials conducted field visits on Thursday and Friday at several places to take stock of the physical possession of land and to assess the ground realities in Anandapuram mandal limits. The government had sanctioned 15 acres in survey no. 13 to ex-servicemen. Adjacent to these sites, there are some private lands too. SIT officials are understood to have identified that some government land allotted to ex-servicemen had been encroached upon by a private real estate company.
“The encroachers have laid layouts on the government land. The ex-servicemen lodged complaints on the issue with the SIT. After a thorough inspection of the sites and records, the SIT officials have ordered the local revenue officials to conduct another detailed survey to determine the boundaries of the government land and take appropriate action,” sources in the SIT office told Express.
In a similar case at Sonthyam village, the SIT officials visited the government land in the survey nos. 232, 277, 279, 300/2 and found that family members of a government employee had occupied some stretches. The probe team has ordered the local officials to remove the encroachment with immediate effect.
In another case in survey no. 52/1 at Tarluwada, revenue staff were found to have provided the ownership rights of a government land to a private person in violation of norms.
As the SIT chief had written to the government seeking more manpower to speed up the probe, the latter has deputed Kadapa district revenue officer (DRO) Y Narasimha Rao to Vizag. Though the government has issued the orders, the officer is yet to report for duty. Sources said that the officer was reluctant because his retirement was due next month.