Telangana BJP leader Alleti seeks probe into 22-A lands

HYDERABAD: BJP legislature party leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy sought a probe by a sitting judge into land deals under the BRS and Congress governments, saying people had not benefited even after the introduction of Bhu Bharathi.

Speaking in the Assembly, he said he could not be silenced despite the absence of the Opposition party in the House and that the BJP would take the issue to the people.

“Land is a means of self-respect, hope for the future and has an emotional connection with the people of Telangana. The Telangana armed struggle was fought for land. Governments should guard the right to property under Article 300-A, but their actions are contrary to its spirit,” he said.

He said governments were duty-bound to protect government, assigned, ceiling, endowment and Waqf lands by using Section 22-A, but the provision had become a curse for the poor. In the absence of clear norms for inclusion or deletion of lands under the provision, it was being misused, forcing people with small land holdings to make repeated trips to government offices, he said.

Maheshwar Reddy cited the example of 333 acres of IDPL land that he alleged had been converted into agricultural land and sold to private individuals. He said the land was currently worth `33,000 crore.

He alleged that the government was a mute spectator as companies such as Phoenix, Anvitha and Suvarna were encroaching on the land and questioned who was benefiting from the alleged inaction.

He also alleged that Aditya Constructions was constructing 60- to 70-storey towers by encroaching on Musi nalas and lakes. “Nothing is being done despite HYDRAA issuing notices based on a report by the Survey of India,” he said.

He claimed that lakhs of acres of forest, Waqf, Endowment and Bhoodan lands had been alienated and were worth more than `26 lakh crore.