KHAMMAM: Housing plots allotted to the weaker section in Puvvada Uday Kumar Nagar gram panchayat in Koyalachalaka revenue village in Raghunadhapalem mandal seem to be undergoing a major scam. About 2,027 plots were sanctioned to the poor in the mandal.
The sarpanch, upa sarpanch and village secretary allegedly sold out the plots to others in a phased manner and made massive money. As per the details, the dwellers of Rotarynagar and other areas were shifted to Puvvada Uday Kumar Nagar in Koyalachalaka revenue village and they were given pattas on December 12, 2018.
The government made 2,292 plots first and another 100 plots were allocated for double bedroom houses later. The plots started changing hands from January 2019 and the housing plot area turned out to be a private real estate venture. Nearly 250 plots were transferred on the names of different persons more than twice. It means that the plots are being sold and purchased as private plots.
Samachara Hakku Prachara Vedika president Koyyinni Venkanna, who noticed the changing hands of plots, approached the officials on the issue and complained to check the land deals there. “When there was no response from them, I filed a complaint in the Lokayukta. The land deals did not stop even after the complaint to Lokayukta and I served show-cause notices to 10 officials including mandal tehsildar, mandal parishad officer, RDO, DPO, DRO and collector on why the government was not taking action against the persons doing land deals illegally?” he said.
Later, the government, which received a notice from Lokayukta constituted a committee headed by RDO and made an internal report. The report is not submitted to either the Lokayukta or to the government. Venkanna obtained the report through RTI Act. As per the report, only 165 house sites are valid with pattas. The report mentioned the remaining pattas as vacant, sold, under construction, constructed and not residing and not given any sanction to them.
Interestingly, the panchayat office itself turned out to be the epicentre of the scam and changing names of beneficiaries are being done after the land is sold to somebody. Venkanna said, “We found that the PA and driver of a public representative had seven plots in Puvvada Uday Kumar Nagar on benami names. Each and every person in the gram panchayat office earned money though the transactions.”
He said the officials demolished 70 houses near Mamata Medical College on June 25, 2020, and assured house plots to them. The dwellers could be given pattas in Puvvada Udaykumarnagar, but it had not been done. The house sites were under the possession of various private persons, who were not the real beneficiaries, he said.
