VISAKHAPATNAM:The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department has initiated departmental action against the then secretary A Jagadeesh and five others in connection with land scam which created sensation in 2012. In a government order issued on Monday, it said six officials of Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) fraudulently allotted land in Sy.No.1008/3A1 & 3A2 of Waltair Ward, land in Sy.No.5/p and 6/p of M.V.P.Layout, Sector-II meant for community purpose at throwaway price and thereby caused revenue loss of Rs 16.06 crore to the government exchequer.
The six officials who were involved in the land scam were the then secretary A Jagadeesh, administrative officer Karuna Kumar, retired administrative officer Chiranjeevi Raju, senior assistants P Ramakrishna, junior assistant M Errabbulu and IS Subba Rao (All of them retired from service). Vigilance and CBI sleuths had investigated the case.
The land scam came to light when 85 cents (4,114 square yards) of land in six plots in Survey No. 5/p meant for community purpose was fraudulently allotted at the rate of Rs 3,500 a square yard on which construction of apartments has been taken up. At Peda Waltair, 451 sq yards of land in S.No. 1008/3 was allotted on the ground that the person to whom land was allotted in 1984 at Peda Gantyada was not handed over. The land was allotted in 2009 at Rs 84 a square yard.
New inquiring authority
In the GO, it is also mentioned that P Lakshmi Narasimham, secretary to government, General Administration Department (GAD), Commissioner of Inquiries (FAC) was appointed as an inquiring authority in place of PK Sarangi, former Commissioner of Inquiries.