Vijayawada: Lure of sand money has MLA defying Chandrababu Naidu

VIJAYAWADA: Despite the warning from the Chief Minister, an MLA from Krishna district is reported to have organised a ‘sand panchayat’. The MLA is alleged to have convened a meeting of the sand mafia and patta land farmers. The MLA has also tried to involve the tahsildar and mining officials for an amicable settlement between the sand mafia and patta land farmers, who owned around 250 acres of land. The gram sabha was informed that the sand mafia does not own any land in the 250 acres. A petition was filed in the High Court against lifting of the sand.

The MLA is demanding 60 acres of land as part of the amicable settlement to allow lifting of the sand from patta lands. The controversy is revolved around 574 acres of patta lands of farmers in Lankapalli village of Pamidimukkala mandal, where the sand mafia is claiming their share despite having no land there. A representative the sand mafia had approached the court over 35 acres of patta land farmers, stating that his 3 acres of patta land has been encroached by a patta land farmer. Following the writ petition, the court ordered a stay on lifting of the sand.  Later, the government pleader appealed against this.

Since the matter is sub-judice, officials pleaded helpless. However, around 50 farmers of patta lands have been denied permission by the revenue department to lift the sand from patta lands. Left with no choice, the sand mafia has approached the MLA, Uppuleti Kalpana, seeking help. The MLA called a meeting of patta land farmers and the sand mafia. The MLA demanded 60 acres of land so that he would withdraw the case against a patta land farmer.

In fact, his claim was that he had three acres of land within those 35 acres, which was proved to be false in the gram sabha. Later, the MLA asked tahsildar Mr C Victor Babu to find out a solution for an amicable settlement. The tahsildar refused to heed his advice, and told him that he would abide by the court order. “I told the MLA that I would follow the court order, as a few people have claimed they have the land and managed to get a stay from court. In fact, the same persons have stated in writing that they don’t know even the borders of their land and also they don’t have the documents,” Victor Babu told this correspondent.

Mafia will face action: Official

District Collector B. Lakshmikantham has warned the sand mafia of action being initiated against them under provisions of the PD Act upon of identification of two counts of violation of the norms. Speaking to DC, regarding the ongoing activities and the settlement trails of the sand mafia in Krishna district, he said that he had directed Ch. Rangaiah, the RDO of Nuziveedu, C. Victor Babu, the Tahsildar of Pamidimukkala, and K. Subrahmanyeswara Rao, the Assistant Director (Mines), to submit a detailed status report.

The patta land farmers have urged the district administration to instate the AP Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) as the nodal agency to minimize the cost of de-casting sand. A proposal has been placed before the APMDC in this regard. The farmers have also urged the district sand committee to either sanction permission for them to de-cast sand from patta lands, or to take over the lands to have the sand de-casted under the supervision of the sand committee, which will cause sand transportation costs to drop.

The de-casting of sand in Pamidimukkala mandal has become a hectic task for patta land farmers due to repeated interference by the sand mafia. When the issue was brought to the notice of Mr Rao, he said that the Mines Department’s work would begin only after the requisite clearances were issued by all Departments. “No one can reach us while the issues are pending with Revenue Court and High Court,” Mr Rao told this correspondent.