The allotment of nearly 60 acres of land to a newly-incorporated data company Ursa Clusters Private Ltd, in the prime areas of Visakhapatnam by the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has triggered a major political row, leading to the media making an attempt to dig into the background of the promoters of this company.
On Tuesday, YSR Congress party leader and former Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas alias Kesineni Nani came up with a sensational post on his social media handle X, exposing the man behind this alleged dubious company getting such a prime land at throwaway price.
Kesineni, who has been lying low after his defeat in the last Lok Sabha elections, tagged the chief minister in his post and disclosed that it was his brother and present Vijayawada MP Kesineni Shivanath alias Chinni, who is the mastermind behind the land allotment to Ursa Clusters.
In his tweet, Kesini initially praised Naidu for allotting land to the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Visakhapatnam, before exposing the land scam behind Ursa Clusters.
“Respected @ncbn garu, I would like to begin by sincerely appreciating your bold and visionary step in allotting land to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Visakhapatnam. Such initiatives will pave the way for real investments, job creation, and the upliftment of Andhra Pradesh’s image as a global technology destination,” he said.
In the same breath, Kesineni said he was deeply concerned about another parallel land allotment — of 60 acres to a newly floated company, Ursa Clusters Pvt Ltd, purportedly for setting up a data centre project valued at Rs 5,728 crore. This includes 3.5 acres in the IT Park and a massive 56.36 acres at Kapuluppada.
“Sir, I would like to bring to your attention strong and credible indications that this is nothing but a benami and fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, using frontmen to gain control over prime public land for private profiteering,” he said.
Kesineni brought to the notice of Naidu certain facts about the company. He said Ursa Clusters Pvt Ltd was incorporated just weeks before the land allotment, with no past experience, no credible background, and no visible means to execute such a high-capacity project.
“One of the directors, Abburi Satish, is not only a longtime associate and engineering college classmate of the MP but also his former business partner in the infamous 21st Century Investments & Properties Pvt Ltd, a company that collected crores from the public and closed down after cheating many innocent buyers,” he said.
He said there were allegations that Kesineni Sivanath himself is the hidden force behind Ursa, using his influence as an MP and as President of the Andhra Cricket Association to push this land deal through under the guise of investment.
“Numerous reports in the media and among the public point to the MP’s deep involvement in sand, fly ash, gravel mining, gambling dens and real estate mafias, all while openly misusing the name of Nara Lokesh claiming these illegal acts are done on his behalf,” the former MP alleged.
Kesineni said it was evident that this land allotment is not intended for genuine industrial development but is instead a covert land-grabbing exercise using government mechanisms for personal gain.
“Allowing this would not only harm the public interest but also damage the credibility of your administration, which has always claimed to uphold clean and transparent governance,” he said,
He requested Naidu to immediately cancel the land allotment to Ursa Clusters Pvt Ltd, order a detailed inquiry into the company’s ownership, source of funds, and political connections and take strict action against those misusing your leadership and the party’s name for corrupt purposes.
“The people of Andhra Pradesh are watching closely. I am confident you will act decisively to protect public lands from being looted under the facade of investment,” Kesineni added.