The Forum for Good Governance has demanded that the government hand over the inquiry into the case pertaining to alleged occupation of 73 acres of government land at Turkayamjal in Hayatnagar mandal on the city outskirts to the Anti-Corruption Bureau so that necessary action can be taken to resume these lands.
The Forum lamented that about 38 acres in survey No. 52 of the area was occupied and pattas were subsequently issued on bogus ex-servicemen certificates. The balance 35 acres was encroached and the occupants secured pattas in the freedom fighter category producing bogus certificates.
In a memorandum submitted to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Forum secretary M. Padmanabha Reddy recalled that the government had constituted a committee headed by S.K. Sinha to verify the appropriateness of the allotment of lands made in combined AP as it was felt that land allotted by the government was not proper and they had not been put to intended use. The committee, which went through the matter, made detailed reports for taking necessary action, but the response from the government had been lukewarm and no case was brought to logical conclusion even six years after submission of the reports.
Tahsildar involved
The alleged occupation of the land happened with the connivance of the concerned Tahsildar and his staff as also the concerned officials in the Rangareddy district Collector’s office. There were in all, 14 files pertaining to land allotment when Mr. Sinha committee took up inquiry and all these files were not produced to him. Only four files were produced and the balance 10 files were said to be not traceable.
“Interestingly, the government was rather embarrassed with the inquiry reports of S.K. Sinha exposing the scams one after the other. To avoid further exposure and embarrassment, S.K. Sinha committee was wound up unceremoniously,” Mr. Padmanabha Reddy said in his representation.
He wanted examination of aspects like who was responsible for the missing files and why no action had been initiated against these officials. How no objection certificates pertaining to the lands were given and why notices could not be served and further action initiated to resume the land so far, he asked.
According to S.K. Sinha committee report, the Tahsildar and some officials of RR collectorate colluded with land grabbers and allowed the 73 acres land to be encroached with pattas issued subsequently. “No action was initiated against anybody so far,” he said, informing the Governor that the present value of the land was more than ₹ 500 crore.
The Governor should, therefore, direct the Chief Secretary to hand over the case to the ACB for a thorough inquiry and resume the 73 acres land. Steps should also be taken for initiating action into the issue as pointed out by the committee.
