Chennai land scam hits Andhra Pradesh ruling party

Chennai: YSR Congress party on Sunday alleged “large-scale irregularities” in the auctioning of “Sadavathi Satram” lands in Chennai for throw away prices to “close associates” of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Demanding a CBI probe into the conspiracy, which involves several thousand crore rupees, a delegation of the YSR Congress visited the land sites on Sunday and sought cancellation of the auction that was held on March 28 in the city.

Speaking to reporters at the site, former revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said that 83 acres of land identified in Siruseri and Thalambur were sold for Rs 27 lakhs per acre, when the market value was over Rs 6.25 crore.

Accusing that the auction procedure was conducted in discrete manner, the former minister said, “A small notice was published in just one regional paper. Mandatory rules, which include advertising in national press and putting up notices in public places, were ignored. Neither was it auctioned on web.”

“The land was bought by prominent Telugu Desam Party leaders and ‘aides’ of CM Naidu,” he said.

Grade one officer Srinivasa Reddy was promoted as a regular endowment officer, for facilitating the loot, alleged Dharmana Prasad Rao.

Alleging that the committee had not acquired Andhra Pradesh court’s consent, he said, “It also defies the court’s direction which mandates seeking legal permission for selling endowment lands,” he said.

Stating that the act dishonours beliefs of Hindu religion, he urged Chief Minister Naidu to set up an inquiry into the scam. “Although national parties including BJP and Congress recommended a re-auction, Naidu has not broken his silence,” he noted.

One of the delegation members, K. Parthasarathy said that YSR Congress party would move the court for justice.