SIT land probe jolts TD
The exposes against opposition party leaders and appointment of a SIT with extraordinary powers to probe alleged land irregularities in the Capital is giving sleepless nights to alleged benamis and land purchasers, including political leaders in Amaravati.
It is a unique development here. Normally, it is the Opposition party that exposes scams, corruption, irregularities and anomalies of the ruling party but in Andhra Pradesh, the YSR Congress government is turning the tables and exposing the ‘wrongdoings’ of Telugu Desam’s government.
Earlier the government's used to appoint SIT to submit its reports but the State Government, in an unprecedented move, has appointed a SIT panel giving it powers to enquire, register, investigate and conclude the investigation under CrPC in the Capital Amaravati lands and insider trading issue. The extraordinary powers to summon and interrogate people are a cause for worry to alleged benami persons, who have to prove that they are clean.
The cabinet sub-committee found insider trading in Amaravati lands and further benami transactions by TD leaders. It submitted its report last month.
During the discussion held in the last session in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Speaker Tammineni Sitaram directed the government to initiate a systematic and comprehensive investigation. Subsequently, the government constituted a ‘powerful’ SIT to probe all anomalies in the last five years.
Land purchaser SB Ramaiah (name changed) lamented that his white ration card is in use for the past 15 years as the earlier governments did not cancel it because they did not wish to rub voters on the wrong side.
He pointed out that he sold all the gold his family had and had borrowed money in order to purchase land in Amaravati as it made for a sound investment. Commenting on the SIT probe, he said that now they have to show sources of income under which they cannot show gold and hand loans in the absence of receipts and records. He expressed fear that SIT officials would book them due to their failure to submit proofs.