Land exchange row reaches HighCourt

Land exchange row reaches HighCourt
x
Highlights

The state government dragged TTD into another controversy by issuing a GO for exchange of land in Vijayawada. Accordingly, the TTD handed over 2.10 acres of land under their possession to Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam (SDMSD). In exchange of this land, they will get the same extent of land from SDMSD. The issue has reached the High Court with one social activist wrote to the Chief Justi

Tirupati: The state government dragged TTD into another controversy by issuing a GO for exchange of land in Vijayawada.
Accordingly, the TTD handed over 2.10 acres of land under their possession to Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Devasthanam (SDMSD). In exchange of this land, they will get the same extent of land from SDMSD. The issue has reached the High Court with one social activist wrote to the Chief Justice about the whole issue.

The TTD is having 2.10 acres of land worth Rs 100 crore at Kummaripalem centre in Vijayawada donated by Sambasiva Rao. The land which SDMSD proposed to give to TTD is at Gudavalli, which costs below Rs 1 crore.The social activists were resenting the very idea of donating Rs 100 crore worth of TTD land to Durga temple in exchange of below Rs 1 crore land.

Both TTD and the government kept the GO issued in October 2016 as secret. The AP High Court has given orders that without the court approval no endowments land should be sold or purchased. As far as TTD is concerned, its Trust board should approve any decision.

SDMSD EO approached the state for TTD’s land near the temple which was totally in disuse for long time. In the letter, the EO mentioned the land will be used for parking facilities.

Sources said the temple authorities have even contacted donor Sambasiva Rao requesting him to write a letter to government that he will donate land to it by changing the earlier documents. He rejected the proposal saying that he adores Lord Venkateswara and gave the land for him.

He later approached then TTD EO Dr D Sambasiva Rao and requested him to take steps to prevent any move of giving that land to SDMSD In this case, the donor wished a Kalyana mandapam should come in that place. As there was Kalyana mandapam in the city, the TTD has turned down the idea and kept the site vacant.

In this connection, Rayalaseema Intellectual Forum Convenor M Purushotham Reddy wrote to AP and Telangana High Court seeking to issue necessary orders in this regard.

Speaking to The Hans India, he said that SDMSD has 52 acres of valuable land in Vijayawada, which was given on lease for 99 years to Siddartha Educational Institutions during NT Rama Rao’s tenure. Why don’t the government tack back 2.10 acres from it and give it to TTD, he asked.

TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal said that any order from the government must be complied with.

By V Pradeep Kumar

Show Full Article
Print Article
Next Story
More Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENTS