Government widens Special Investigation Team scope

Visakhapatnam: The State government has widened the scope of Special Investigation Team hitherto confined to tampering of land records in the district and surrounding areas.

The orders came in the last minute when SIT almost closed its receipt of petitions on Saturday evening.As the per the orders, SIT has been asked to probe into change of classification of government lands that is government land to non-government land in revenue records and webland, investigate all cases of assignments made to ex-servicemen and political sufferers where no objection certificates were issued for disposal and sale.

SIT will also probe all cases of government land grabbing and encroachment by the private persons, the cases where government lands have been devolved to private individuals and institutions without following due procedures.The SIT will conduct comprehensive inquiry into all the above issues and submit its report to the government within stipulated time.

The orders were issued by the Chief Secretary on Saturday. Meanwhile, BJP floor leader and Visakhapatnam North MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju has written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister N Chinarajappa requesting him to extend the last date to August 31 in view of the volume of complaints that being submitted to the SIT every day.