TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney to order an inquiry into the lands acquired for the housing programme for the poor.
In a letter addressed to Ms. Sawhney on Thursday, Mr. Naidu alleged that the entire exercise had turned out to be a big scam.
The government had bought marshlands, wetlands, mangroves, and other forest lands illegally, which were not suitable for the housing purpose, Mr. Naidu alleged in the letter.
Besides entailing huge expenditure, acquisition of such lands was against environmental norms, he observed.
Alleging large-scale corruption in the programme, Mr. Naidu said such lands were acquired in the Assembly constituencies such as Tenali, Vinukonda, Kavali, Palacole, Pendurty, Chowdavaram, Addanki and Penamaluru. Lands unsuitable for housing was acquired at a cost higher than the normal, he alleged.
Approximately 600 acres of marshland was acquired at Burugupudi village of Korukonda mandal in Rajanagaram Assembly constituency in East Godavari district, he alleged. Lands were acquired by shelling out ₹45 lakh per acre. Further, the amount required to fill the marshlands with earthen soil was another ₹250 crore, he said.
“It appears that the ‘housing sites for the poor’ programme has been designed to abet corruption. It also appears that the ruling party leaders have swindled a lot of money,” Mr. Naidu alleged.
“More skeletons will tumble out of the closet if a thorough inquiry is done,” he said.
