Dy CM orders probe into irregularities

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayat Raj K Pawan Kalyan has ordered an inquiry into the irregularities surrounding the land acquisition for the establishment of Saraswati Power and Industries Limited in Palnadu district.
Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday visited the lands allocated for the project, which is owned by family members of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, in Vemavaram village, Machavaram mandal. He stood on top of his car to survey the area. District Collector Arun Babu briefed him about the land.
Addressing the gathering, Pawan Kalyan accused the government of seizing assigned lands belonging to Dalits for Jagan Reddy’s projects. He stated that he had ordered a detailed inquiry into the acquisition of both assigned and dotted lands for the project.
“The farmers in the area were intimidated, and their lands were taken by force. The YSR family is acting as if the lands belong to them. Farmers parted with their lands in the hope of jobs for their kin, but the plant has yet to be established,” Pawan Kalyan lamented.
He further noted that land acquisition for the captive power project began during the tenure of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. However, he claimed that it was later converted into a cement company with promises of thousands of jobs.
“Preliminary reports indicate that 400 acres of forest land were misclassified as revenue land in official records. I have ordered the Collector to conduct a comprehensive inquiry and submit a report on the irregularities in the land acquisition for the Saraswati Power Plant,” Pawan Kalyan announced.
He pointed out that the YSR family holds an 86 per cent share in Saraswati Power and Industries Limited, describing it as their own company. “They made false promises of establishing an industry and generating employment while acquiring land at lower prices from farmers under the guise of job assurances,” he claimed.
He added that farmers who refused to sell their lands were also intimidated. “Yet, no industry has been established on the acquired land,” Pawan Kalyan asserted.
The Deputy Chief Minister revealed that among the acquired lands, there are 1,043.75 acres of patta land and 75 acres of dotted land. The government has requested a report from revenue officials regarding this issue. According to the officials’ report, 24 acres of assigned land given to Scheduled Castes for farming purposes were included in the acquired lands.
In 2009, a limestone lease was granted for 30 years on these lands, and when Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy became Chief Minister in 2019, the lease was extended for 50 years. Officials noted that permission to draw 196 crore litres of water from the Krishna River was granted without the necessary environmental clearance.
“I will raise this issue in the Cabinet meeting. An inquiry will cover all aspects, including the leasing arrangements, the extension of the lease period, and the allocation of water resources to the cement factory,” Pawan Kalyan announced. Gurajala MLA Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao and SP K. Srinivas accompanied him during the visit.