Can the government go for logical conclusion?

Introductory memo:

The Government of Telangana, on September 24, announced the formation of a committee to inquire into alleged irregularities and other issues related to land. This includes lands allegedly belonging to former Chief Minister and BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, former minister and BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, former minister T. Harish Rao and others. The question is whether the exercise will reach a logical conclusion or remain limited to the submission of a report.

Analytical view / analysis

The political fight between the ruling Congress party and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has reached a peak, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announcing in the Assembly that the family of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao holds land in excess of the permissible limits. He listed the number of acres allegedly owned by Chandrasekhar Rao, his son K. T. Rama Rao, his daughter K. Kavitha, and his nephews T. Harish Rao and Santosh Rao.

Following the Chief Minister’s announcement that officials would conduct a survey of the lands owned by members of Chandrasekhar Rao’s family, the officials have completed surveys of some lands in Erravalli in Siddipet district, where the former Chief Minister’s farmhouse is located. Notices were issued to farmers asking them to appear with the documents available with them.

Similar notices were issued to farmers in Velikatta village in Kondapaka mandal of Siddipet district, asking them to produce the relevant land documents.

Committee formed

On Thursday, the government announced the formation of a committee headed by Commissioner of Collegiate and Technical Education S. Sridevasena as chairperson and Special Secretary to Government (Registration and Stamps) Rajeevghandhi Hanumanthu as convener. The Collector of the concerned district will be a member of the committee when it deals with lands located in that particular district.

The committee has been entrusted with the responsibility of examining alleged violations of statutes, rules, Acts and government orders relating to land and submitting a report to the government. Its terms of reference cover government ceiling surplus land, assigned land, Jagir, Bhoodan, Inam and forest lands, as well as land acquired by the government for various purposes.

As many as 16 cases have been listed for inquiry, including those relating to Erravalli, Sivaru Venkatapur, Velikatta, Janwada, Maddur, Aziznagar, Bahadurpura and Vattinagulapally. Those allegedly involved in illegal land deals include former ministers Jagadishwar Reddy and Gangula Kamalakar, former MLA Pilot Rohit Reddy and MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy.

However, officials have not yet issued notices to any of these leaders, so far. Only Congress-led delegations have visited locations where the said leaders’ assets are allegedly situated and made political allegations.

This has raised doubts in the minds of the public over the pending action by the government, particularly as several issues that attracted considerable political and public attention in the past have not reached a logical conclusion. Various factors, including legal hurdles and the outcome of earlier cases, have resulted in allegations attracting significant attention without leading to any concrete action.

TSRTC land dispute case

Soon after coming to power, the Congress government acted firmly in the TSRTC land dispute in Nizamabad and seized a multiplex constructed by Vishnujit Infra Developers Private Limited, a company linked to former BRS MLA A. Jeevan Reddy.

The multiplex was constructed on about 7,000 square yards of TSRTC land leased to the infrastructure company for 33 years. TSRTC officials seized the property after the company allegedly failed to pay pending lease dues amounting to Rs. 2.51 crore.

The officials subsequently terminated the lease agreement on account of the outstanding dues. However, there has been no action so far against the former MLA in connection with the matter.

Formula E Race case

The Formula E Race case relates to alleged financial irregularities surrounding the 2023 Formula E race. Former minister K. T. Rama Rao is accused number one in the case, along with former IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former HMDA chief engineer B. L. N. Reddy as co-accused.

The allegation is that about Rs. 55 crore was transferred to the UK-based Formula E Operations (FEO) without the mandatory approvals. The Enforcement Directorate also registered a money-laundering case against Rama Rao in December 2024.

The case is currently before the ACB Court.

Phone-tapping case

The much-discussed phone-tapping case has also not reached a logical conclusion so far. The Supreme Court granted protection from arrest to former SIB chief T. Prabhakar Rao and granted him anticipatory bail.

The progress of these cases, therefore, will be closely watched in the context of the newly constituted land committee. The immediate question is whether the committee’s findings will lead to further legal or administrative action, or whether the exercise will ultimately remain confined to the submission of a report.

News at Glance:

https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_hyderabad/issues/205884/OPS/GMSGJ0LU4.1.png?cropFromPage=true

Non-payment of Rs. 2.51 crore: TSRTC seizes BRS former MLA T Jeevan Reddy’s mall in Nizamabad

https://newsmeter.in/top-stories/nonpayment-of-rs-251-cr-tsrtc-seizes-former-brs-mla-jeevan-reddys-mall-in-nizamabad-729400

Malicious Propaganda: KTR as he appears in court in Formula E case

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/malicious-propaganda-ktr-as-he-appears-in-court-in-formula-e-case-12063319

Social Media Pulse:

https://x.com/ANI/status/2018247042934653126

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