Revenue officials in Visakhapatnam have seized a part of a property owned by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, on allegations of encroachment. A team of revenue officials led by Visakhapatnam Rural Tahsildar on Sunday morning demolished a shed and compound wall constructed on the premises of land in Rushikonda owned by the Visakhapatnam (East) MLA, according to The New Indian Express.
According to reports, officials have said that part of the land that is in the name of the TDP MLA is ‘gedda poramboke’ (unassessed land that belongs to the government) land. While MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu had applied for regularisation of this land, the application was reportedly rejected by the officials, who seized the property on Sunday.
TDP Andhra Pradesh chief Kinjarapu Atchannaidu called it an incident of political vendetta by the YSRCP, and alleged that such instances were an attempt to divert attention from alleged land grabbing by YSRCP leaders in Visakhapatnam.
The incident is the latest in a series of similar ones, where revenue authorities in Visakhapatnam have seized properties under occupation of various TDP leaders, and in some cases demolished structures, alleging encroachment.
Officials of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) have served notices to former Mayor and TDP leader Sabbam Hari, over alleged encroachment of a park area for construction of buildings in Seethammadhara, based on complaints lodged by local residents.
In October, GVMC and revenue officials alleged encroachment of government lands by Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM), located in Rushikonda. According to revenue officials, based on an inquiry carried out, it was found that the university had encroached 40.51 acres of land in Vizag, and the management had tried to regularise the land and approached the court in this regard several times. GITAM university was founded by educationalist MVVS Murthi, affiliated to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
In November, a branch of the Fusion Foods restaurant owned by T Harshavardhan Prasad, who is associated with the TDP, was shut down by the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA), citing lapses in the process of extending its lease.
Revenue officials also took possession of agricultural land in Bheemannadorapalem of Anandapuram mandal, whose pattas were reportedly meant to be assigned to beneficiaries from Backward Classes. While reports have surfaced suggesting that the seized land belonged to former Anakapalle MLA from TDP, Peela Govinda Satyanarayana, party leaders have denied these reports, claiming that the seized land in Anandapuram is not connected to the former MLA.