Andhra Pradesh Launches Probe into Biggest-Ever Land Scams in India

09 Aug 2024 CW Team

The newly formed TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh has initiated an inquiry into what is being described as possibly the "biggest-ever land scam in the country since Independence." This inquiry is based on allegations made by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who claimed that the scandal occurred during the YSRCP's tenure.

At the first Collectors? conference on August 5, the Chief Minister alleged that his predecessor, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, had introduced the "land freehold policy" with the malicious intent of appropriating large amounts of land from the government and innocent assignees. According to Naidu, the previous government had allegedly started the process of alienating up to 9 lakh acre of land to private individuals as part of this policy.

RP Sisodia, Special Chief Secretary for Revenue (Land, Registration, and Stamps), noted that the freehold process was applied to various categories of land, including assigned lands, village service Inaam lands, 'Sharathulugala Patta' lands (lands with specific restrictions), and dotted lands. However, out of all the land converted to freehold, only 25,236 acre were officially registered. Sisodia mentioned that there could be agreements or General Power of Attorneys (GPAs) made outside the registration process.

Sisodia has directed the Collectors of six districts?Tirupati, Chittoor, Kadapa, Annamayya, Prakasam, and Sri Sathya Sai?to form district-level committees. These committees will be led by the Special Deputy Collector and will include the assistant registrar, tahsildar, and mandal surveyor. Their task will be to reverify the lands that were converted to freehold status, investigate gift or sale transactions involving these lands, and scrutinise the details of assignees and land purchasers to uncover any fraudulent or undervalued transactions.

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