Karimnagar: Two farmers – Adepu Gangaram and Adepu Anjaneyulu – have on Monday accused Choppadandi TRS MLA Sunke Ravi Shankar of building his palatial house partly on land owned by them on outskirts of Burugupally village in Gangadhara mandal.
They asserted that they had even protested with a banner against the encroachment when Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao visited outskirts of Sircilla town. But it went unnoticed due to tight security arrangements by police.
Choppadandi Congress spokesperson Medipally Satyam supported the two farmers alleging that the MLA has been grabbing lands belonging to Padmashali community in the area to build a “big palace for himself”.
Satyam charged that within just three years of his term as MLA, Ravi Shankar had come to own valuable lands in Burugupally, Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Gangadhara mandals. He demanded that the CM act immediately against the Choppadandi MLA before he does more harm to people.
In a statement, Gangaram and Anjaneyulu said they owned 4.39 acres of land on survey number 91, which belonged to their forefathers Adepu Venkaiah, Adepu Buchaiah and Adepu Sayeelu. They have been cultivating it since 1985. Ravi Shankar and his wife Divena own 1.13 acres of land in survey number 90 and are constructing their house. “While doing so, the MLA and his wife have blatantly encroached on our land in survey number 91. They have even constructed a compound over our land,” the duo stated.
Gangaram and Anjaneyulu said when they approached the MLA and explained to him the situation; he threatened them against being a nuisance. “The MLA warned us he would sit with the Chief Minister and change the survey number itself,” they alleged. The duo said they have submitted a petition to the district collector in this regard; also pointing out that their life is in danger because of Ravi Shankar.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Satyam said the Choppadandi MLA has been using his political power to grab the lands of poor. “Ravi Shankar’s predecessor Bodiga Shoba from Choppadandi too had similarly grabbled lands due to which she lost. Now the present MLA too is doing the same. He too will meet the same fate,” Satyam remarked.
