AP govt set to revive SIT probe in Amaravati land scam

Visakhapatnam: Buoyed by an order from the Supreme Court in its favour, the Andhra Pradesh Government is gearing up to revive the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged irregularities committed in acquisition of lands for construction of capital in and around Amaravati during the erstwhile TDP regime.

“We will revive the SIT probe so as to bring all those who committed irregularities during the TDP rule to book in the larger interest of the State,” Home Minister Taneti Vanitha said on Thursday, a day after Supreme Court lifted the stay imposed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on GOs issued on September 26, 2019 constituting a cabinet sub-committee to go into alleged irregularities and embezzlement of funds committed during the TDP regime and February 20, 2020 SIT of CID to probe.

The CID, which had registered FIRs before the AP High Court stay, had alleged that third party land transactions were encouraged knowing very well that the then government would develop Amaravati as the new capital. The TDP Government had acquired nearly 33,000 acres under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) from the farmers. The YSRCP had also gone to the extent of alleging the involvement of some powerful people not connected to politics due to their close proximity to then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in what it termed as the Amaravati land scam.

Hailing the Supreme Court order pronounced on Wednesday, YSRCP general secretary and Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the SIT probe will bring all those involved to book. He wondered why the TDP had sought a stay on the probe if their leaders were not involved in the Amaravati land scam and other irregularities. He also hinted that Chandrababu Naidu and his associates involved in the scams will be punished as per law for indulging in ‘insider trading.’

Taking strong exception to Naidu’s claim that he deserved credit for Bhogapuram International Airport and Adani Data Park, Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had laid foundation stone for both the projects on a single day close on the heels of launching work on Mulapeta Port in Srikakulam to develop North Andhra after deciding to develop Visakhapatnam as the executive capital. He said fearing his imminent arrest for the Amaravati scam, Naidu and his party leaders were trying to divert the public attention.

Amarnath said the YSRCP Government had come forward to launch the prestigious projects after obtaining legal clearance and approvals from the Central Government and other authorities. He said with a note of sarcasm that Naidu also stakes claim for the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Hyderabad International Airport, for which the foundation stone-laying as well as the inauguration were done during the tenure of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The SIT probe will bring all those involved to book. Why had TDP sought a stay on the probe if their leaders were not involved in the Amaravati land scam? Chandrababu Naidu and his associates involved in the scams will be punished as per law

- Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, YSRCP general secretary