Andhra Pradesh officials suspected to be involved in CRDA land scam

VIJAYAWADA: Higher officials of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) are suspected to be involved in the CRDA land scam that has come to light on Tuesday. 

The scam got exposed with sale of benefits drawn under Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) by claiming that 1.77 acres of land in survey number 207 in Mandadam village got drowned in Krishna river. 

The officials created fake documents in the name of one Patan Ghouse Basha and started benefitting from the LPS scheme and sold a commercial plot. 

CRDA commissioner Ch. Sridhar said that a criminal case is being filed on this and a departmental inquiry will be held by additional commissioner Shan Mohan. He further told about cancelling the LPS benefits to the fraudsters.

While pooling land for capital city, the CRDA officials got involved in the land scam. 

The officials had shown in the records that the land that got drowned in Krishna river was given for land pooling by Ghouse Basha in Mandadam village. 

Under LPS, the officials paid two times the lease amount towards two seasons and also allotted 1,450 sq.yards land worth Rs 3.5 crore. 500 sq.yards towards villa, 500 sq.yards for residential purposes and 450 sq.yards for commercial use. 

On January 17, 2017, the officials created documents that Ghouse Basha is willing to give his land for pooling and on the very same day, presented the Land ownership declaration document and later presented transfer of ownership right document to the CRDA. 

In the same month, CRDA officials released an annual lease amount to Ghouse Basha. On May 5, 2017, even land was allotted under lottery system by the officials. 

After a while, the officials sold 450 sq.yards of the commercial land. The villagers of Mandadam suspected fraud and complained with the CRDA on the same claiming there are no residents in their village named Ghouse Basha. 

With this, the CRDA officials are trying to blame Group IV employees such as DTP operators. On the other side, suspicions are strong with the officials saying that transactions are being available only online with no physical documentation. 

Reacting on this, shared village land pooling, additional commissioner Chennakesava Rao had brought this scam to the notice of the CRDA and investigation is under progress.

The CRDA officials are inquiring the then deputy collector Yesuratnam’s and MRO Rahmatullah’s involvement in the land pooling, as only after physical examination of the land, documents will be processed and land ownership rights will be transferred. 

Generally, most of the lands are in the river front. Now suspicion is on the number of transactions that have happened under the LPS. A senior official shared that LPS is not applicable for lands that have got drowned. 

As told by the CRDA officials, this is not in the hands of Group IV employees. It definitely involves higher officials. He further expressed the chances of many more such illegal transactions and involvement of politicians as well.