It has been nearly three months since the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh ordered an investigation into allegations of land encroachment by former Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy in and around Visakhapatnam.
Surprisingly, the investigation has seen little progress despite media reports presenting substantial evidence.
Allegations have surfaced that a settlement is being negotiated, with claims that a key minister in the Naidu government is shielding Jawahar Reddy.
Sources suggest that the issue is being diluted following the intervention of a young minister in the Naidu cabinet, who is allegedly attempting to reassign portions of these hundreds of acres of land to his own benamis.
Jana Sena Party corporator P. Murthy Yadav previously accused Jawahar Reddy of having over 100 acres of assigned land near Bhogapuram International Airport registered in the names of various benamis.
He further alleged that Reddy initiated the registration process for another 170 acres.
Specific instances include 14 acres registered in Gandigudem, 12 acres in Ramavaram, and 90 acres in Bhogapuram. These registrations allegedly occurred during the YSRCP regime, with no-objection certificates issued at that time.
Additionally, proposals were prepared for the registration of 120 acres in Tarluwada, 15 acres in Gudilova, 8 acres in Vemulavalasa, 4 acres in Gidijala, and 20 acres in Pendurthi. However, these registrations were halted at the tehsildar level following the change in government.
Murthy Yadav also alleged that Jawahar Reddy attempted to register 70 acres of APIIC land allocated for the Mega Food Park in Bhogapuram mandal.
He claimed that after the land scam came to light, registration department officials refused to comply with Reddy’s demands, halting the registration of lands valued at over â¹200 crore.
Interestingly, while Jawahar Reddy publicly denied the allegations and announced plans to issue legal notices against Yadav, no such notices have been served to date.
This has fueled speculation that the allegations of land purchases in benami names might hold merit.