GUNTUR: Amid the row over the lands of Saraswati Power and Industries in Palnadu, the State government has resumed 17.69 acres from it. It has taken back 13.80 acres of land in Vemavaram and 3.89 acres in Pinnelli villages, stating that they were assigned land and illegally occupied in violation of rules.
Accordingly, Machavaram tahsildar Kshamarani has directed the local revenue officials to reclaim the lands.
Following allegations that hundreds of acres of forest and assigned lands were illegally occupied by the company belonging to former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan visited Vemavaram on November 5. He alleged that 1,184 acres of land, including 710.06 acres in Vemavaram, 273 acres in Chennayapalem, 93.79 acres in Pinnelli, and 107.36 acres in Tangeda villages were taken from the local farmers by making false promises of money and employment to local youth. Of the total, 1,043.75 acres are patta land, 75 acres dotted land, and 27 acres assigned land, which Jagan usurped from Dalit farmers, he charged. Mentioning that there are complaints that 400 acres of land belonging to the forest department was converted into revenue land, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the District Collector to conduct a thorough probe into the issue.
Notices were issued to 32 beneficiaries and 19 of them had reportedly confessed to selling the land, which is against the rules.