Lands of TPCC chief under lens

Ponnala owns 8.39 acres at survey number 337 at Rampur village

Warangal: The officials of district urban land and survey records have started survey at the lands owned by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah under the survey number 337 of Rampur village here.

A team of officials from Survey and Land Records Department conducted the survey at the land situated at Rampur industrial area on the outskirts of Warangal following the directions by District Collector G Kishan on Wednesday. Senior officials from Revenue, Land and Survey Records Departments have visited the land. The survey was expected to be completed by Thursday after which the status report would be submitted to the state government.

It was said that the Ponnala Lakshmaiah has owned an extent of 8.39 acres where he set up poultry feed production unit.

The TPCC chief was accused of procuring the land assigned to Dalits by violating norms, besides encroaching about three acres of land adjacent to the unit. The survey of the land has created lot of sensation in the district as heated debate took place in State Assembly on the day over the TPCC chief’s involvement in the alleged encroachment of lands. It might be noted that dispute over the encroachment of Dalit lands by the TPCC chief has been going on for long time. Warangal MP Kadiam Srihari had staged a dharna in the past at the disputed land along with affected Dalits demanding justice. Meanwhile, a former sarpanch of the village, Saraiah, speaking to press persons has maintained that the piece of three acres land said to be encroached by the TPCC chief was not being enjoyed by him even though it looks like it was under his control.

The eight acres of land owned by Lakshmaiah covers the disputed land from three sides and on one side there was a railway track. This has barred entry to land owners. The land owners have demanded Lakshmaiah to leave passage from his land and he consented for the same.

On the other hand, TRS district president T Ravinder Rao and senior leader K Rajaiah Yadav have welcomed the state government’s decision to constitute house committee to probe into grabbing of assigned and other lands in the state.

In the past, the Congress and TDP abused the power and had encroached vast extent of lands. With reference to the land owned by Lakshmaiah at Rampur, the TRS district president said a special GO was issued during Congress regime to regularise the assigned lands.

The land owned by the TPCC chief falls under 106 acres of land distributed to 128 SC beneficiaries under welfare schemes. “All those who have occupied the lands illegally should surrender them voluntarily, otherwise, they have to face punishment,” he said.

He said the government would not spare even if the TRS leaders were found involved in land encroachments. Encroachment of government lands at Jakkaloddi at Hunter Road in Warangal and other illegal occupations should be probed.