Hyderabad, July 14: Heated arguments and verbal war between the Congress and Telugu Desam members threw the State Assembly into a pell-mell on Tuesday on the issue of “illegal and irregular” allotment of prime land to the “rich and big” in the posh Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills in the State Capital.
The issue figured in the House when the CPI member, Mr J. Ranga Reddy, fielded a question regarding regularization of house sites to the poor and wanted to know whether orders issued in GO No. 166 of December 2003 was being implemented in this regard.
The Minister for Revenue, Mr Dharmana Prasada Rao, in his reply revealed that as many as 89,313 applications were received throughout the State for regularization, of which only 4,710 were yet to be cleared.
Mr Ranga Reddy disputing the claim of the minister asserted that while only 6,867 applications of the poor were cleared for 80 sq. yards as per the GO, the rich and influential people in collusion with the officials were allotted thousands of square yards of prime land in the posh Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills areas.
The CPI member reeled out names of the “big wigs” who managed to acquire prime land worth thousands of crores of rupees under benami names. He even named the Hyderabad district Collector of colluding with the rich to commit various irregularities. At one stage, he also mentioned the names of the late chief minister and his kin of being the beneficiaries for which the GO intended for the poor were grossly misused.
He was also aghast that even the government land in the ENT Hospital at Koti was allotted to real estate dealers while hundreds of poor were denied house sites and regularization of even 80 sq. yards. He demanded that the government should not only cancel all the allotments made illegally to the “bada babus” but also order a thorough inquiry.
The TDP member, Mr Venkata Veeraiah, while citing various irregularities being committed by misusing the GO in allotment of prime lands to the rich, thousands of poor who have been residing in small houses and hutments including in the twin cities were denied regularization. At one stage, he referred to the kin of the late chief minister triggering off a loud protest from the Congress. This triggered off heated arguments between the Congress and Opposition members.
The Minister for Revenue took pains to explain in detail the mode of allotment of house sites and regularization as per the G.O. Reiterating that no irregularities were committed anywhere and at any time, Mr Prasada Rao asserted that the present Congress regime was committed to provide house sites to all the poor. He also had a dig at the erstwhile TDP regime stating that this commitment and sincerity lacked then.
Mr Virasat Rasool Khan (MIM) charged that not even one percent of the Muslim minorities who have submitted their applications could succeed in getting regularization. The CPM member, Mr Mallesh, (CPM) and the BJP floor leader, Mr G. Kishen Reddy, also alleged numerous irregularities in allotting prime land to the influential people at the cost of thousands of poor.
When the issue dragged on for over an hour, the Speaker tried to close the matter and move on to the next question, the TDP member, Mr M. Narasimhulu, who got up to express his protest, leveled serious charges against the government in the matter of regularization and allotment of lands. He wanted to know how the late YSR and his son could get allotment of prime land in posh areas in the city.
The Minister for Revenue strongly objected to the TDP member’s allegation made against the late chief minister and remarked that the TDP was only shedding crocodile tears for the poor though it did nothing when the party was in power. This triggered off a verbal clash between the Congress and TDP members and the House witnessed uproarious scenes.
The CPI, CPM and BJP members, protesting against the government’s failure to place all facts, staged a walk-out while the MIM, PRP and Lok Satta members expressed displeasure over the government’s attitude in trying to favour the rich and neglecting the poor in the matter of regularization of house sites.
Even as the Speaker asked the next question to be taken up, the TDP members rushed to the podium demanding that the government should place in the House the list of all those who were illegally allotted prime land in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills. When they continued to obstruct the proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House for tea-break.
——–NSS