HYDERABAD: BJP Legislature Party leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged land scam involving 23 lakh acres and questioned the Congress government over its failure to act against 13,000 individuals who allegedly acquired the land, as stated by the Revenue minister in the Assembly.
Addressing the media in Hyderabad, Maheshwar Reddy questioned the lack of action a month after Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy spoke about lakhs of acres changing hands. He accused the Congress of shielding alleged scams under the BRS and described visits to BRS leaders’ farmhouses as political theatrics.
He alleged that the government had held a brief Assembly discussion under BJP pressure but withheld the forensic audit report and formed an SIT instead. Calling it the country’s largest land scam, he demanded the cancellation of registrations and recovery of the land.
Citing Article 300-A, he questioned the removal of 25,518 acres of forest land from the prohibited list and sought clarity on 5.12 lakh acres of endowment and waqf land and 1.79 lakh acres of Bhoodan land.
He also questioned why registrations of 3.73 lakh acres of private property with NALA permissions had been stopped, while several categories of government land remained outside the prohibited list.
He alleged that the confusion was being exploited to demand 30% commissions for land regularisation and claimed benamis of political leaders had signed agreements for assigned lands.
Citing specific cases, he alleged that disputed IDPL land had been registered in private names, 27.18 acres in Serilingampally worth Rs 7,000 crore had been taken over by Vamshiram Builders, and seven acres of evacuee land in Puppalaguda worth Rs 1,500 crore had been allotted to NOVA, a company belonging to the Revenue Minister’s family. He also accused Phoenix Tech Zone Private Limited of taking over SEZ land in Nanakramguda.
Maheshwar Reddy said the BJP would launch a mass agitation and pursue legal action.
BJP state president N Ramachander Rao accused the Congress of continuing the BRS regime’s mistakes.