“In our country, people hail soldiers and say ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’. However, in reality, there is no protection for jawans or farmers and their properties. Their land ownership documents (patta) are being given away without their knowledge. It happened to me today, tomorrow it may happen to you,” said Sappeta Swamy, a 26-year-old Indian Army Jawan in Jammu and Kashmir, in a video he released on social media.
Sappeta Swamy was alluding to the alleged land grab and malpractices by local revenue authorities back in his native Chityal village in Telangana's Tadwai Mandal in Kamareddy district.
In the two-minute video, Swamy alleged that a person named Pippiri Anjaneyulu has grabbed his agriculture land.
"He 'managed' the employees at the Revenue Department and somehow got hold of the documents of my land. Now, he is threatening my parents that he would kill them if they entered the land. Although my father tried to approach the local media, after hearing his (Pippiri's) name, no one is coming forward to talk about it," Swamy claimed in the video.
Swamy also said that he is under stress because of the land problem and has been contemplating if he should quit his job to be with his family.
He urged the public to share the video till it reaches Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao.
When TNM contacted Swamy's father Sappeta Sai Reddy, he said that his family is living in fear due to death threats.
“Pippiri Anjaneyulu is a rich and powerful man from Ugravai in Kamareddy. He has been harassing us for one year. He tried to level the land recently. He even thrashed me once when I went to see my land," alleged Sai Reddy.
He also said that when he took up the matter with the revenue officials concerned, he didn't get any response, after which he approached the local media.
Sai Reddy claims to have two pieces of land. While four acres of land is his ancestral property, he bought two acres of land from a farmer.
“When I enquired with the officials, they suggested that I sort out the matter in court. But why should I do that? They must reveal who gave away my land and how he (Pippiri) got documents without my knowledge,” Sai Reddy said.
The issue has raised the concerns pertaining to flaws in the functioning of the revenue department. Many took to Twitter to urge the government to take necessary action.
Respected @PMOIndia @nsitharaman @AmitShah This video came as a forward on whatsapp where an army jawan says while he is at border, his 6 acre agricultural land in Telangana is forcefully taken away from his family. Please solve his problem and keep armed forces stress free. pic.twitter.com/khA3iqzWKi
— Jogulamba (@JogulambaV) June 16, 2019
District Collector N Sathyanarayana sought an immediate probe in the matter. The Collector’s report stated that the authorities have already asked Swamy's father Sai Reddy to approach the Civil Court for the land dispute, wherein his land was possessed in the last week of May.
The report also said that there has also been a land dispute between Sai Reddy and a person named Gundreti Sangareddy since four years and that in 2016, revenue authorities had issued passbooks (to Sangareddy) as per the Court order.
Sangareddy then reportedly sold off the land to Pippiri Anjaneyulu, after which the latter claimed rights to the land.
While Swamy filed a complaint through the Army Commandant concerned, his father filed the complaint with the Chief Minister's Office. The Collector has also asked the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) and Tehsildar to take necessary measures after Swamy and Sai Reddy’s complaints.
The report also stated that local Tehsildar did not issue the digitally signed passbook after receiving a complaint from Sai Reddy and a letter from Army authorities concerned.
Sai Reddy also pointed out that he has been a beneficiary of the Telangana government’s Rythu Bandhu scheme, which assures agricultural assistance to farmers. “If I am not the owner of the agricultural land, then how am I getting the money from the government?” he asks.