Senior Congress leader and MLC Paladugu Venkatrao has demanded that the Forest, Endowments and Finance departments rise to the occasion and use the lands of their departments to fetch revenue to the exchequer. He also warned the State government that he would launch a movement if the government failed in this regard.
Speaking to the media at the CLP office here on Thursday along with Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkatramana Reddy, Paladugu bemoaned that the government was taking immediate action against the poor whenever they occupy lands of the Forest and Endowments departments, but not taking action against the rich and influential when they occupied those lands by paying a nominal lease amount. In this manner, these people were becoming very rich to such a level that they were able to buy votes by paying handsome amounts.
Revealing that he had appealed to Naxalites to fight against this type of social evils instead of fighting with police personnel in the forests, Paladugu said that the government will be in a position to sanction Rs 2 lakh to each poor person for construction of house when the government took action against the unscrupulous people who were grabbing the Forest and Endowment lands at nominal lease price.
Paladugu also appealed to the Planning Commission members to visit the poor instead of traveling in flights and formulating plans.
(NSS)