70-year-old gets justice after 3 decades

Visakhapatnam: Secretary of District Legal Services Authority and Senior Civil Judge S Damodar Rao on Friday issued notices to the Collector, the Vice-Chairman of VUDA and the GVMC Zonal Commissioner of Gajuwaka for compensation of the land acquired by the VUDA three decades ago from 70-year-old Kostu Appalanarasayya, a resident of Simhachalam. The VUDA had taken 190 square yards of Appalanarasayya’s site in Survey No. 36/3 of Gajuwaka Kanithi Road.

Senior citizen Appalanarasayya approached the DLSA office and narrated his woes. The judge immediately appointed senior advocate and member of DLSA Kuppili Muralidhar to pursue the case.

Earlier, the petitioner explained his grievance to Collector Pravin Kumar and in turn the collector ordered the tahsildar of Gajuwaka to submit the report. The tahsildar submitted his report stating that the land was acquired by the VUDA long ago, but no compensation was paid to the petitioner.

Appalanarasayya purchased the vacant site in an extent of 240 square yards in 1978 by way of registered sale deed and wanted to construct the house on the site, But, the plan for the construction of house was rejected by erstwhile Gajuwaka municipality on the grounds that the land was taken over the government for laying the Gajuwaka-Kanithi Road.

Out of the 240 square yards of land, 190 square yards of land was taken over by VUDA and remaining 50 square yards of land, the petitioner sold to third party.

For the last 30 years, the petitioner has been going from pillar to post for compensation of his 190 square yards of land taken by the government. As a last resort, the petitioner approached the DLSA and notices were issued to the respondents.