BJP floor leader demands CB-CID probe

Visakhapatnam: BJP floor leader in the Assembly and Visakhapatnam North MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju demanded a CB-CID inquiry into the land pooling proposed by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA), a scheme under which 300 farmers of Mudapaka under Pendurthy mandal were forced to sign an agreement with influential people for their assigned lands.

Talking to The Hans India here on Tuesday, the MLA said he would also raise the issue in the ensuing budget session of the Assembly. Earlier in the afternoon, 22 farmers approached Commissioner of Police T Yoganand and requested him to initiate an investigation.

The alleged influential persons mostly backed by the TDP, took away their original D Pattas and signed blank papers promising them good money after land pooling.

They also threatened them that the government would take away their lands and they would get nothing. They gave Rs 1 lakh advance to each farmer promising more later. Around 300 farmers gave away 400 acres of land and each acre costs Rs 1 crore in the open
market.

The Commissioner of Police immediately ordered a probe and sought a report from Station House Officer of Pendurthy police station.

It was MLA Vishnu Kumar Raju who had unearthed the scheme and raised a storm last year. After he brought the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister and exposed the lacunae in GO No 290 issued on November 14, 2016, a new GO 332 was issued with some changes on December 13 last year.

Raju said it was shameful that hundreds of acres of land had gone into the hands of influential people who had offered peanuts to the land owners though transactions in assigned land are barred under A P Assigned Land (Prohibition and Transfer) Act of 1977. The district has over 1,000 acres of assigned lands in the
city limits.