CHENNAI: After a multi-crore land scam surfaced in Beemanthangal near Sriperumbudur in which government lands were grabbed, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and district administrations of Kancheepuram and Ranipet have been scrutinising land records of the villages through which the Chennai-Bengaluru NH passes.
NHAI acquired land for widening the Chennai-Bengaluru bypass into six lanes between Sriperumbudur and Walajah and paid Rs 123 crore to 87 landowners. However, last year the office of Commissioner of Land Administration found that pattas for land acquired in Beemanthangal for the project belonged to the government and land was transferred to individuals illegally.
Acting on a complaint, Kancheepuram district crime branch police on Wednesday arrested two persons who received Rs 33 crore from NHAI. They were charged for obtaining pattas through forgery. Pattas of the rest of landowners have got genuine records till 1985.
However, prior to that period, government lands were transferred to individuals without any proper documents, said official sources. "We are now scrutinising the land records for five villages - Vedal, Enathur, Pamal, Sriperumbudur and Pennalur from where land acquired for widening the road in Kancheepuram district," said an official.
He added that the quantum of land was high in Beemanthangal mainly because of the expansion of the existing toll gate. "In the rest of the villages, only five meters of land were acquired for widening," the official added.
The Ranipet district authorities said the road stretch has got enough land for widening into six lanes. "As of now, no land irregularities are found in the land records." In the meanwhile, NHAI has initiated proceedings to freeze the bank accounts of 85 landowners who received nearly Rs 90 crore.