AP CM releases white paper on 'exploitation' of natural resources during YSRCP rule

Amaravati, Jul 15 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday accused the previous YSRCP government of looting the state's land, mines, minerals and forest resources in the last five years.
The CM alleged that YSRCP leaders were involved in land grabbing, forging housing documents among others.
"They (YSRCP leaders) assigned lands to ineligible people like party (YSRCP) cadres, MLAs and benamis at will. They also changed the status of assigned lands (belonging to SCs & STs) and converted them into freehold lands," said Naidu, releasing a white paper on alleged exploitation of natural resources.
Referring to the Vizag land scam in which Rs 4,469 crore was misappropriated, the CM said Rama Naidu Studios' lands were illegally reclassified as residential project at the district level.
Naidu also alleged that a land scam in Ongole amounted to Rs 101 crore, Tirupati (Rs 270 crore) and Chittoor (Rs 99 crore), among others under the guise of housing project.
According to the TDP supremo, YSRCP leaders identified properties under family disputes, unclaimed private plots, empty land parcels and government sites to 'grab'.
Claiming that YSRCP leaders had forcibly acquired 10,000 acres of land belonging to downtrodden sections such as SCs, STs and BCs, he said they had bought lands from poor people at low cost and acquired YSRCP party leaders' lands at an exorbitant cost.
Further, Naidu claimed that YSRCP leaders purchased 40,000 acres of assigned lands converted into freehold land parcels by exploiting SC, ST, and BC communities.
In the five districts of Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur, Annamayya and Nandyal, Naidu alleged that 8,086 ineligible beneficiaries were chosen for the benefit of YSRCP to transfer 13,081 acres of land worth more than Rs 1,300 crore.
Naidu said land records across the state will be reprinted with government emblem, replacing Jagan Mohan Reddy's imagery while noting that the YSRCP era state-wide land resurvey programme has been abolished.
However, the CM promised that all the land related issues will be resolved and called on people from across the state to come forward and lodge any complaints or injustices they suffered.
Promising to launch a toll-free helpline and a website to receive plaints, Naidu said no culprit will be spared.
Expressing anger at the exploitation of the resources of the state, he said a legislation, AP Land Grabbing Act, will be passed on the lines of the one in Gujarat to punish the offence of land grabbing.
On the alleged sand and mineral wealth loot, Naidu said the state incurred losses to the tune of Rs 19,000 crore due to illegal sand mining, drastic fall in mineral revenue and other irregularities.
Inefficient mineral administration, withdrawal of free sand policy, non-recovery of pending dues from sand contractors, revenue loss due to outsourcing of mineral permits and non-recovery of pending dues from contractors have contributed to these losses, he said.
Naidu further said that 58 acres of mangrove was diverted in Kakinada district for Jagananna housing colony, a welfare scheme.
Meanwhile, YSRCP leader and former social justice minister Merugu Nagarjuna refuted the allegations and said it was a ploy to target party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
"I don't know whether to call it a white paper or a paper of lies or allegations. This white papers business was brought to level allegations against our president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and cast aspersions on him," said Nagarjuna, addressing a press conference at YSRCP central office in Tadepalli.
Moreover, he said that despite being the CM, Naidu is employing highly derogatory words in his white paper presentations to target YSRCP leaders.
Wondering where politics is heading in the southern state, Nagarjuna said the CM will be held accountable for every word he is uttering.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)