KADAPA: Kadapa Mayor P. Ravindranath Reddy led Congress leaders in a convoy of 40 cars and inspected lands allegedly encroached upon by Rajya Sabha Member C. Ramachandraiah and TDP Polit Bureau member Kandula Sivananda Reddy in Kadapa, Chintakommadinne, Chennur and Vontimitta mandals on Monday.

Mr. Ramachandraiah and his family members had encroached upon 240 acres of DKT lands in Chennur, Bhakrapet and Jowkulapalle in Vontimitta mandal and Mr. Sivananda Reddy and his family members upon 608.50 acres in Kadapa city, Mamillapalle, Tadigotla, Kopparthi and Papasahebpet in Chintakommadinne mandal, the Mayor alleged.

The TDP leaders usurped lands belonging to poorer sections by taking them on lease or occupying them, he said.

"To cover up land-grabbing, Mr. Ramachandraiah and Mr. Sivananda Reddy, accompanied by TDP legislators, had inspected some lands and accused us of encroaching upon lands," the Mayor said.

Misuse of funds

He charged the MP with sanctioning Rs. 40 lakhs from his MPLAD funds for a lift-irrigation scheme to irrigate lands under his possession, occupying hundreds of acres of land given to SCs and STs and laying road to fields, he alleged.

Mr. Ravindranath Reddy said he had given survey and extent-wise details of land in his complaints to the Collector and Joint Collector, but the TDP leaders were levelling charges without any documentary evidence. Taking cue from the Chief Minister, the TDP leaders should surrender assigned lands in their possession to the Government by April 29, he said.

The Congress leaders initially inspected a 7.79-acre stretch of land near Government Arts College here.

Mr. Sivananda Reddy had purchased DKT lands allotted to Baba Educational Society for a teacher training institute, divided it into plots and was selling them away, the Mayor alleged. Villagers of Tadigotla said their elders had signed some papers without any knowledge and handed over the lands to Mr. Sivananda Reddy and urged the Mayor to restore the lands to them.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail