District officials reclaim 49 acres of Govt land in Visakhapatnam in one day

As part of its special drive against the encroachment of government land, the Visakhapatnam district officials, with the support of Revenue department, have reclaimed 49 acres of land in one day on Sunday. The said spread of land is reportedly located in Tunglam, Jaggarajupeta, and Kurmannapalem in Vizag, and is estimated to be worth Rs. 791.41 crores. Revenue officials headed by Gajuwaka Tahsildar Sekhar Rao initiated the removal of encroachments and ordered possession of the land.

This state government initiative that started a year back has reportedly reclaimed government land to the tune of 430.81 acres in the last year. According to an official press release, the lands situated in and around the port city are approximately worth Rs. 4,292 crores. The Visakhapatnam district officials have taken necessary steps and actions against the encroachers of land in the city. Preliminary actions such as criminal cases have been booked against those who had occupied lands. The officials also announced a steadfast attempt to take back more lands on which illegal structures have sprung up.

The drive has however led to an outburst of political tantrums. With each targeting, the other, TDP leaders claimed that the drive was politically motivated, and the YSRCP leaders claimed that it was in the state’s interest. Vizag’s TDP president Palla Srinivas Rao’s brother’s buildings have been demolished on Sunday as part of the drive. Speaking on the incident, Srinivas Rao said that his brother was being targeted since he refused to join the ruling YSRCP. Responding to the TDP leader, Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao rubbished the allegations that the ruling government was succumbing to the anti-encroachment drive in view of the executive capital coming up in Vizag.

Taking this opportunity, the State’s Tourism Minister also asked the BJP government in the Centre to strive for getting a railway zone. Going forward, the Minister announced that an SIT report on the Vizag land scam would be in public soon.