As the Telugu Desam Party inaugurated its newly constructed national party office in Mangalagiri on Friday, Mangalagiri YMLA and YSRCP leader Alla Ramakrishna Reddy has filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, claiming that the allotment of the 3.6 acres of land for the construction of the office was illegal and arbitrary.
The lease for the land, located in Atmakur village of Mangalagiri mandal, was issued by the Revenue Department through a government order in June 2017, at a cost of Rs 1000 per acre per annum, for 99 years. Ramakrishna Reddy in his PIL submitted on Thursday has requested the HC to cancel the order, and to order the Commissioner of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to demolish the construction.
The PIL claims that the land on which the TDP office has been built has been recorded as ‘vagu poramboke’ (unassessed government land by a water stream), and therefore, is prohibited from allotment. It also states that the building will affect the surrounding water bodies and flow of the stream, affecting ecological balance. The land allotment order itself states that “water bodies if any existing in the land should not be disturbed and should be allowed to continue their natural course.”
The MLA has also alleged that the CRDA had sent a notice to the TDP, according to which the area of the site mentioned in the building plan was larger than the 3.6 acres allotted in the lease. According to the PIL document, in a letter dated July 20, 2018, the CRDA had intimated the TDP of various shortfalls “including the variation in the area of site mentioned in the plan with that of land that is actually leased” to the TDP, directing the TDP to “submit the ownership document for the balance area other than the area allotted through the lease deed”.
However, claiming that the TDP had not submitted the required proof of ownership for the extra land, Ramakrishna Reddy has requested that the HC must order the CRDA to demolish the structure. He also requested that while the petition is pending disposal, the court must suspend the land allotment order and the TDP must not be issued occupancy certificate for the building.
This isn't the first time that the YSRCP has insisted on demolition of a building associated with Naidu. Within less than a month after the YSRCP government came to power, the Praja Vedika building located a few meters away from Naidu's rented residence in Undavalli was demolished by authorities. Hours after CM Jagan’s first meeting with district collectors and superintendents of police, it was concluded that the Praja Vedika was an illegal construction.