VIJAYAWADA: Making it clear that the State government will dig deeper into each and every aspect of Amaravati, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has clarified that if any landholder, who had given lands for capital development, feels he/she was intimidated into giving their land for the capital, the YSRC government would return such lands. He also alleged that everything in the capital reeks of corruption.
Emerging from the first review meeting held by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy with Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) officials on Wednesday, Botcha said, “There is no scope for forcible land procurement [in our government]. If anybody says that their land was taken without their consent, we will return it. We have stated this on several occasions in the past and we are still committed to it.”
“Thousands of crores of rupees of public money has been misused. If they [TDP leaders] looted 20 per cent to 50 per cent on every project, we are not here to endorse that corruption. The CM told the officials to do an in-depth study of all land procurement and allotment transactions,” Botcha explained.
“There are several irregularities, especially in the plots allotted to farmers who had given lands. The kin of the then ruling leaders were given plots in favourite locations, while general public got elsewhere. The TDP leaders, their supporters and sympathisers benefited even under the Land Pooling Scheme,” he alleged. Botcha said that after the officials examine all the aspects, the government will look into the progress of construction. “Another meeting will be held soon,” he revealed.
In the three-hour-long meeting, besides making a presentation on the status of the project, the officials also apprised the Chief Minister of the matters to be attended to immediately. This included the government’s intervention in getting final approval for World Bank funds, tapping of funds from Centre under smart city initiative, payment of annuity to the farmers and others.