Probe into land scams in Vizag that happened since 2004: Botcha

Visakhapatnam: Senior YSRCP leader and former Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana demanded that a detailed probe should be conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) against land scams that have taken place in Visakhapatnam since 2004.

Speaking to the media in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, he asked the newly-formed alliance government to focus on two main issues.

The former minister mentioned that there is a need to identify and take action against those involved in the drug shipment case delivered to Visakhapatnam from Brazil.

Satyanarayana stated that there was an allegation that Sandhya Aqua Exports Private Limited belongs to a relative of BJP State president D Puradeswari. Earlier, the aqua exports company denied the allegations, stating that they had placed an order for dry yeast for their business.

The former minister appealed to North Andhra MPs to raise the issue in the Parliament and accelerate the inquiry. Satyanarayana pointed out that the drug case drew severe criticism from various quarters as the container comprised narcotic substance weighing 25,000-kg worth crores of rupees.

He said the drug case had badly impacted the brand image of the port city. When the drugs were caught, the YSRCP government was in the midst of the election exercise and hence could not pay much attention.

As part of the ‘Operation Garuda’ against illicit drug trafficking network, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained a shipping container suspected to be containing narcotics drugs mixed with about 25,000-kg of inactive dry yeast.

Meanwhile, the former education minister demanded the land scams that took place in Visakhapatnam since 2004 should be compiled and investigated in detail. “Even as a number of allegations are made against the YSRCP leaders for usurping lands, a SIT was constituted during the TDP regime earlier to probe into the land scams but the report, however, was not made public,” he pointed out, demanding that the SIT report submitted during the TDP’s regime should be disclosed.

Further, Satyanarayana pointed out that the NDA government in the State postponed the implementation of the ‘Talliki Vandanam’ scheme for the next year and it shows their credibility.

“The TDP said in the election campaign that the YSRCP government incurred debts and now they are stating that the assurances given then cannot be implemented as the debts have to be cleared.

Apparently, they had promised to the people when there were debts. But now the TDP is trying to escape by giving a lame excuse,” Satyanarayana criticised.

Responding to illegal transfers of teachers, the former minister said that he himself had given a note that the transfers should take effect only after the schools were reopened and the file was sent to the Chief Minister.

The new government can launch an investigation into the allegations of irregularities and no one will stop it, he added.