Book criminal cases against erring realtors : Collector

Eluru: West Godavari District Collector K Bhaskar directed the officials to register criminal cases against the real estate business people who sold out sites without leaving the common site as per the norms. He conducted ‘Mee Kosam’ programme at Collectorate here on Monday and received representations from the public.

N Viswanatha Reddy and Pattabhirama Reddy of Maruteru village in Penumantra mandal represented the Collector that they had prepared layouts after purchasing 9.29 cents of land and registered a common site to Panchayat. However, they stated that they registered some extent to the Panchayat out of the prescribed 10 percent site. They said that even they were ready to pay the present rate for the remaining land to be allotted as a common site. 

However, the Panchayat Secretary and Sarpanch were not giving permission during the last five years. Irked over the representation, the Collector questioned them if it was right to ask the Panchayat to give permission without 10 percent of the total extent left as the common site. “Every builder or real estate venture-holder should leave the 10 percent common site out of the total layout extent. Otherwise, the officials should register criminal cases against those people,” he directed. 

G Srinivasa Reddy and others of Mallipudi village in Penumantra mandal alleged that VRA Satyanarayana of the village issued fake tax receipts to those who lacked agricultural land to get gold loans with the least interest. It is alleged that the VRA had been demanding bribe to recommend ration cards to eligible persons. “We complained on the matter in Janmabhoomi meeting on January 2 and no action has been taken so far,” they said.

The Collector directed the Panchayat Officer M Venkatarama to conduct an inquiry into the incident. Several petitioners represented their issues to the Collector. Joint Collectors Pulipati Koteswara Rao, MH sheriff, DRDA Project director K Srinivasaulu, DWAMA Project Director Ganesh and others participated in the programme.