The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : PJR seeks CBI probe into land allotment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 30, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

PJR seeks CBI probe into land allotment

Special Correspondent

Congress MLA alleges that NRIs are being taken for a ride

HYDERABAD: Close on the heels of the IMG land imbroglio, Congress MLA P. Janardhana Reddy has demanded a CBI probe into the allotment of 520 acres of land in Manikonda and Nanakramguda to a Dubai-based real estate company at a `throwaway price' by the Telugu Desam Government for setting up a golf course, convention centre, townships and tourist facilities.

He alleged that the company was brazenly developing and selling away lands to `unsuspecting' non-resident Indians at astronomical prices without acquiring any permission from the Government.

"All allotment regulations have been grossly violated and they are going ahead with the construction and sale of houses without even a Hyderabad Urban Development Authority lay-out," he alleged, demanding immediate arrest of the developers for `duping' people.

Mr. Reddy went on a fact-finding trip to the area along with local farmers whose lands were acquired by the Government for the golf course project here on Tuesday. He alleged that equity was structured to suit the interests of the foreign company by diluting the share of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (which owned the land) to 26 per cent.

"The land was deliberately undervalued at Rs. 29 lakhs per acre while an acre of land in Gopanapally, beyond Nanakramguda, was bought by a major industrial house of the State in a Government auction for a whopping Rs. 4 crores," he pointed out.

Laxminarayan Prakash Singh, owner of three acres of land in Nanakramguda now running a kirana store, said the Government rate at the time of acquirement of land three years ago was a low Rs. 6 lakhs per acre whereas the going rate today was a staggering Rs. 2 crores. Some 90 farming families were affected by the move.

"Ever since our lands were taken away, the Government has not come back to us on the rates. We were not paid a single paisa and nor do we know how much we will be paid," pointed out Papamma, local resident, owning half-an-acre of paddy-growing land.

Lake vanishes

"In the name of developing a golf course and other tourist facilities, Chintalakunta lake that feeds our fields has been slowly killed as the Dubai company filled it with tonnes of debris," alleged Mohd. Sharif, whose four acres of land in Nanakramguda was taken away for the planned financial district. A delegation of farmers would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy soon to apprise him of the matter.

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