AP Govt orders inquiry

Visakhapatnam: Finally, the government responded on the long pending issue of Simhachalam lands dispute and directed the officials to conduct the inquiry in the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) court. The government has directed the RDO to receive the representations from the people who have grievances in the Simhachalam lands and start the inquiry immediately.

Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao convened a review meeting to find an amicable solution to the two-and-a-half decades long dispute with all the senior officials on Friday. Addressing the officials, the minister said that though the TDP government had assured  the people that the issue would be settled in 100 days after coming to power, as the issue was pending in the High Court, the government efforts proved futile.

However, the High Court, in its recent interim orders directed to conduct inquiry on the issue at the local RDO court. As per the High Court directions, the inquiry should be started immediately, the minister said. He directed RDO Govindarajulu to start receiving the representations from the people and find out an amicable solution to the long pending issue. The minister asked the officials to look into the issue on humanitarian grounds as thousands of farmers, low and middle income people were involved in the issue.

A large extent of lands has been donated to Lord Srivarahalakshmi Nrusimha Swamy Devasthanam by the then Raja of Vizianagaram samsthanam. Meanwhile, thousands of farmers have been cultivating the lands after taking Vizianagaram Raja’s consent. The lands have been spread in various north Andhra districts. After the rapid urbanisation and development of residential colonies in the said lands, the farmers sold the lands for residential purposes.

However, devasthanam is presently claiming the ownership of the lands in five villages, including Adavivaram, Vepagunta, Cheemalapalli, Purushottamapuram and Venkatapuram. The devasthanam is also claiming the ownership of the Survey No 275 (from Simhachalam temple hills to old dairy farm near Madhurawada hillocks).

In 1997, Chief Minister N Chandrababu government had issued orders for regularisation of the lands by collecting 70 per cent of the government prices. Some of them had paid and regularised the lands. Later, it was stopped and still many cases have been pending in the High Court about the title deeds of the lands.

At present, the government has stopped the registration in all the five villages, including Survey No 275. The people have been facing tough times to sell and purchase the houses and house sites due to ban on the registrations and mortgages. Presently, the devasthanam is not allowing any constructions and repairs to the houses in all the villages. In this backdrop, the High Court directed the RDO court to inquiry into the issue.