A recent Government Order on monetisation of five land parcels — three in Visakhapatnam and two in Guntur — and raising money through e-auction after developing residential or commercial complexes, has kicked up a row.
Many have picked holes in the GO Ms. No. 172 issued by the Revenue Department on June 12, alleging lack of clarity as to who would fund the residential and commercial areas.
The GO states that the money raised would be spent on shifting and housing government buildings in identified alternate lands.
The lands in question are three acres (survey no. 8) and 11 acres (survey no. 39) in Seethammadhara and Waltair Ward (survey no. 1011) 13.83 acres.
The last parcel of land belonging to the APIIC, which was allotted to the Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Group during the Telugu Desam regime for construction of an international convention centre, a five-star hotel and multiplex.
However, the proposals were cancelled by the YSRCP government after it assumed the office.
The recent Government Order comes after the High Court questioned the hurry in which an e-auction was notified earlier pertaining to the sale of 11 land parcels in Guntur and Visakhapatnam amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mission Build A.P.
The decision on e-auction was taken as part of the ‘Mission Build Andhra Pradesh’ after clearance by the members of State Level Monitoring Committee.
“There is no clarity in the G.O. as to who will fund for development of residential/commercial areas and then selling those areas through e-auction,” social activist and former bureaucrat E.A.S. Sarma told The Hindu.
He said that there was no point in auctioning the APIIC land measuring 13.83 acres with beachfront view and other prime land parcels.
“The move is a highly objectionable. Areas on Beach Road should not be sold to outsiders. If required, the government can construct an underground market complex on line of Palika Bazaar in Delhi and a multi-layer parking complex above it,” said K.S. Chalam, former member of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Legal recourse
CITU leader Ch. Narsinga Rao opposed the plans of selling away the land on which Regional Eye Hospital and DMHO office are located. “We will take legal recourse if the government does not shelve the proposals,” he said.
