The Hindu : Front Page : CM’s land issue: TDP stages walkout

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Thursday, Jul 19, 2007
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CM’s land issue: TDP stages walkout

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party staged a walkout in the Assembly on Wednesday in protest against the Government’s inaction against Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his family members for ‘illegally’ possessing assignment lands for over three decades at Idupalapaya in Kadapa district.

This issue, which had rocked the budget session of the Assembly earlier this year, found its echo again with the TDP seeking information from the Government during Question Hour about the original assignees and the manner in which the land surrendered by Dr. Reddy was being put to use.

Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao explained that the Government had taken possession of 305.77 acres of land as none of the original assignees had responded. It therefore, decided to allot 186.57 acres of the surrendered land for establishment of the western campus of Sri Yogi Vemana University and construction of 21st century Gurukulam.

About 24 acres was being allotted to Forest Development Corporation and 67.08 acres for setting up IIIT while the remaining extent would be set aside for public utilities like roads, he added.

Action sought

TDP member Nagam Janardhan Reddy, who tabled the question, however, demanded action against the Chief Minister’s family as they surrendered the land before the Assignment Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act was amended.

He charged the Minister with “misleading” the House in that the land that belonged to poor assignees was not being given back to them. TDP members walked out accusing the Government of not coming forward to disclose information about the whole transaction.

Later, participating in a separate debate on land-related issues, another TDP member T. Devender Goud demanded that revenue recovery proceedings, in accordance with the provisions in the Act, be initiated against the Chief Minister for the period for which his family was in possession of the land.

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