In a heated exchange in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, members of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) confronted Minister Nara Lokesh over the allocation of land to companies at an exceedingly low price of just 99 paise per acre. The questioning escalated as Lokesh retaliated with accusations of nonsensical comments, defending the government’s actions regarding land distribution.
During the ongoing budget sessions in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, YSRCP MLC Tummati Madhava Rao raised critical questions about the government’s transparency in land allocations. He pointed out that in the past 20 months, land had been given to multiple companies at rock-bottom prices without any disclosure of details regarding the acreage or total costs involved. Rao highlighted that even new companies established last year received land at the same nominal rate, which raised eyebrows among the opposition.
Rao’s comments included a staggering assertion that land worth 600 crores was allocated for investments of only 156 crores in Vijayawada, questioning the rationale behind such deals. He also criticized the lack of competitive bidding for the land, as he queried why tenders were not called for certain firms like Lulu Group while others received preferential treatment.
YSRCP MLC Varudu Kalyani echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the land allocations in Visakhapatnam had drawn severe criticism. She stated that while land is typically offered at lower prices in underdeveloped areas, it was perplexing to see valuable land in a rapidly developing region like Visakhapatnam being leased at such negligible rates. Kalyani questioned why real estate companies were being favored over the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), suggesting that the government was sidestepping proper protocols in land distribution.
In response to the barrage of questions, Minister Nara Lokesh insisted that only five companies were given land at 99 paise, asserting that these companies had credible backgrounds and were not being unjustly favored. He refuted claims that land was allocated to a company called Ursa for such low rates, adding a personal touch to his defense by highlighting the political defeat of the opposition, stating, “You have 151 seats, yet only 11 came to you,” indicating a lack of support for their claims.
Minister Achennayudu supported Lokesh, reiterating the need to provide land at lower prices to attract companies and create jobs in underdeveloped regions of North Andhra. However, opposition leader Botsa Satyanarayana countered that the government must provide clear answers regarding land allocations. He noted that the IT ecosystem in Visakhapatnam was established as early as 2006 and criticized the government for allegedly favoring certain business leaders and families with lucrative land deals worth thousands of crores.
The debate reflects ongoing tensions in Andhra Pradesh politics regarding land management and economic development strategies. The YSRCP’s push for accountability in land allocations signifies a broader concern over transparency and fairness in governmental dealings, as the opposition vows to challenge perceived irregularities in future sessions.
