Govt sets up panel to probe KCR family land holdings

Hyderabad: In pursuit of its moves to unearth perceived “land scam” during the erstwhile Bharat Rashtra Samithi rule, the Telangana government on Thursday constituted a three-member Official Committee to inquire into alleged land irregularities linked to BRS leaders, including party president and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao as well as former ministers KT Rama Rao and Harish Rao.

The panel is headed by A Sridevasena, Commissioner of Collegiate and Technical Education, with Special Secretary (Registrations and Stamps) Rajeevgandhi Hanumanthu as convenor, and Jangaon Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha as a member. Collectors of the concerned districts will also join the panel for cases in their jurisdiction.

The committee has been empowered to requisition records, data and personnel from any government department, Collector or local body.

Interestingly, former MLC Elvis Stepheson, named in the alleged Revanth Reddy’s 2015 cash-for-vote scam, was also included in the list of the names of the leaders for the investigation of their lands.

State Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju issued GO No.134. The order follows the 16 September Assembly discussion on Section 22-A of the Registration Act, during which Revanth Reddy alleged that former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s extended family held close to 440 acres of assigned land spread across several districts in the state.

The annexure of the GO lists 16 land issues for scrutiny across Siddipet, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar and Rajanna Sircilla districts. These include holdings attributed to the KCR family in Erravelli and Markook, KTR’s family in Janwada, and Harish Rao’s family near Ranganayaka Sagar reservoir, and lands owned by Harish Rao’s father-in-law M Hanumantha Rao.

Also listed are land issues involving former ministers Gangula Kamalakar and G Jagadishwar Reddy, MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, ex-MLA P Rohith Reddy, and land acquisition disputes tied to the Mallanna Sagar and Mid Manair reservoir projects.

Revanth Reddy placed detailed figures before the House, claiming that KCR and members of his extended family together hold nearly 440 acres of assigned land spread across nine districts, 24 mandals, and 31 villages.

According to the information tabled by the government, KCR and his wife, K. Shobha, hold around 67.5 acres in Siddipet, Markook and other areas. The family of KT Rama Rao is listed as holding a combined 123.19 acres: KTR (49.5 acres), Shailima (17.5 acres), Alekhya (9.38 acres) and Himanshu Rao (46.3523 acres).

Senior BRS leader Harish Rao’s family accounts for about 30.5 acres, with the MLA holding roughly 21 acres and his wife, Srinitha, about 8.5 acres. K. Kavitha and her husband, D.R. Anil Kumar, together hold around 37.26 acres.

The family of Joginipally Santosh Kumar is shown as holding nearly 79 acres, while Naveen Kumar and Kondal Rao are listed as holding 52.165 acres and 48.38 acres, respectively. CM Revanth Reddy specifically referred to 388 acres of assigned land surrounding the farmhouse belonging to the KCR family in Erravalli.

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