Land fraud revealed in Pandurangapuram

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, July 18, 2013: An inquiry and survey conducted by the deputy inspector of Survey, Task Force, revealed that the sketch prepared by Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) department regarding a piece of land in survey No.1011, block No. 39, Waltair Ward, Pandurangapuram does not tally with the Field Measurement Book (FMB) issued by Central Survey Department at Hyderabad. 

It was reported in these columns earlier that FMB was tampered by private individuals to get it allotted by the then revenue  minister Dharmana Prasad Rao, who got a plush deluxe duplex flat in the multi storied apartment complex at a dirt cheap coming up on the said land in the question on the beach road. The deluxe flat was registered on the then minister’s son, Dharmana Ram Manohar Naidu.

In collusion with e-seva centre officials, some real estate agents and developers fabricated documents and obtained government orders to allegedly grab land that vested in the government under the Urban Land Ceiling Act.

While the issue is being inquired by the vigilance department, documents available with this newspaper showed that ULC office totally tampered the crucial FMB of the said survey number used to register land transactions.

The FMB used in regularizing surplus land under various ULC provisions was totally different from the FMB certified by the central survey office of 1966, on which land transactions are actually to be based and done.

The said land under the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) surplus land of 2752 sq.mtrs, and 2870 sq.mtrs, in town survey no.1011/1A1A3B & 1011/1A1A3C on the beach road, had been allotted to P Venkatapathi Raju and K Naga Kanaka Brahmam through G O Ms no. 424 issued by the revenue department on April 6,2006.  

In December 2006, the then district collector submitted a report to the government stating that P Venkatapathi Raju and K Naga Kanaka Brahmam, have managed to get the said land allotted to them by producing false documents. As a consequence of the district collector’s report, the G O was kept in abeyance.  

Later, Venkatapathi Raju and Brahmam filed representations before the then revenue minister, Dharmana Prasad Rao, and among other things, stated that they were willing to pay the highest slab rate.

The request of the applicants was considered by the state government, which decided to apply the highest slab rate of the year 2002 -Rs.1,750 per sq.mtr, and accordingly, modification orders were issued fixing the highest slab rate under G.O.Ms.No.493,on March 26, 2008 and the abeyance order issued earlier was withdrawn.

After the alleged tampering of FMB was brought into the notice of the district collector and chief commissioner land administration of the state government by a local advocate they have directed assistant director, district survey and land records, Visakhapatnam for enquiry and submission of detailed report along with sketches. In response to the said orders the assistant director directed Deputy Inspector of Survey, Task Force, for survey, verification of documents, sketches and ‘On Ground’ field position.

A detailed report was recently submitted to the district collector and the chief commissioner land administration.

 “The entire procedure of sub-divisions is utterly abused to facilitate the land grabbers and to conceal the actual boundaries and schedule. All the existing sub-divisions, roads and land use are deleted and concealed which led to encroachment of public land, government land and violation of Town Planning Scheme and Master Plan,” said advocate P.V. Giridhar who brought the tampering to the notice of authorities.