CM Interested in N Andhra Lands, Not in Development: PK

VIJAYAWADA: Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan has alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is more interested in the north-Andhra lands than for development and welfare of the people.

Accompanied by a large number of followers, Pawan Kalyan on Monday visited the Visannapeta lands spread over 600 acres in the Bayyavaram revenue village under Anakapalli district. These had allegedly been grabbed by the associates of industries minister Gudivada Amarnath.

Speaking to the media at the disputed site, Pawan Kalyan said the YSRC government was having a single-point agenda, namely of plundering north Andhra of its valuable lands. On the other hand, no development took place in the region during the last four years of YSRC rule, he said.

Pawan Kalyan said the 600 acres of land was located in a catchment area that’s a lung space, where the farmers from minorities, Dalits and Adivasis have been cultivating the fields to eke out a living.

“There are no proper roads in the villages but the realtors have laid a 120-feet road to the proposed luxury villas coming up in these lands.  They built a helipad atop the hill and these damaged the hills,’’ Pawan said.

Asserting that these realtors were none other than the close associates of state minister Gudivada Amarnath, the JS chief said there was no clearance of any sort for the Rs 1,300 crore project.

Grabbing environmentally sensitive lands was in violation of the WALTA Act of 2002 and other laws, the JS chief said.

Pointing to the hundreds of youngsters present there with the JS party flags, Pawan Kalyan said there were no jobs for the youth, forcing them to move out of north Andhra in search of employment. Pawan Kalyan said he would file a petition in the National Green Tribunal, vis-à-vis the land law violation, and another complaint with the ministry of environment, forests and climate change.