In a heated discussion surrounding land issues in Visakhapatnam, opposition leader Botsa Satyanarayana has accused family members of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of being involved in a massive land scam worth Rs. 5,000 crores. He claimed that the allocation of government lands to private individuals contravenes Supreme Court rulings, raising questions about the legitimacy of such actions.
Speaking to the media, Botsa questioned how MP Bharat, who holds a constitutional position, could engage in the illegal acquisition of government land. He emphasized that the issue of land transfer in Visakhapatnam has been added as the 15th item on the GVMC Council agenda for Thursday, urging the mayor and relevant authorities to take immediate action against the ongoing land grab.
Botsa further announced plans to visit the Geetam University, where he intends to inspect the land that has allegedly been encroached upon, valued at a staggering Rs. 5,000 crores. He stated that on the 30th of this month, there would be a protest in the council, followed by a demonstration in front of the Gandhi statue. He called for responses from the Jana Sena party and the BJP regarding the land scam, demanding to know why Pawan Kalyan has remained silent on the issue despite frequently discussing ethical governance.
The opposition leader criticized the bureaucratic hurdles faced when attempting to regularize small plots of land, questioning how a substantial area of 55 acres could be legitimized under current circumstances. Botsa condemned Geetam Educational Institute as a “loot organization,” alleging that it has extorted vast sums from students for admissions, with 79 acres already regularized since 1998, indicating a long-standing pattern of corruption.
On the other side of the political spectrum, KK Raju, president of the Visakhapatnam YSR Congress Party, echoed Botsa’s sentiments, arguing that granting Rs. 5,000 crores worth of land to Geetam University is an act of injustice. He denounced the allocation of 55 acres to MP Bharat as undemocratic, claiming that land in Visakhapatnam is being handed over to real estate firms as if they are merely distributing “pulses.” Raju highlighted that after the coalition came to power, they have allocated 30,000 crores worth of land to favored individuals.
In a bid to address these pressing issues, Raju mentioned that they have submitted a petition to remove the Geetam agenda item from the GVMC’s agenda, urging intellectuals and the educated class to reflect on the land grab incidents occurring in Visakhapatnam. He concluded with sharp criticism, suggesting that the ruling party is displaying favoritism towards certain groups at the expense of the common people in North Andhra.
