Rs 500-crore land scam to be probed in Telangana

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday announced two Joint House Committee probes into a Rs 500-crore land scam that allegedly transpired under the previous Congress and Telugu Desam Party governments.

Several cooperative housing societies and influential persons in an around Hyderabad are reported to be involved in the scam. Wakf land allocated to several cooperative housing societies that come under the Telangana jurisdiction will be probed by the House committee.

The issue was raised during during Question Hour, when AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi demanded a judicial inquiry into the illegal activities of housing cooperatives. He alleged that these societies had sold and allotted several valuable plots to non-members, defeating the very purpose of providing affordable housing to society.

“I bring to the notice of the House that one Chinnappa Reddy, who has not produced a single film so far has been allotted seven plots by the Film Nagar society. Similarly, the TNGO housing society made Rs 100 crore by selling plots. The total loss to the Telangana government is on a scale of Rs 500 crore,” Akbaruddin said. He demanded that special officers should be appointed to run these societies till the House Committee suggests further action.

The chief minister responded by saying that the government has been seized of the matter and will take action against those who have willfully diverted land allocated for their members.

“In all there are 1,500 files related to illegal activities of these societies. We need to take the opinions of all political parties before initiating action as it is related to the welfare of the general public,” Rao said.

He assured the AIMIM that action will be initiated against persons who used Wakf land for purposes other than what was intended.

The chief minister also said that Wakf is a central subject and sought the help of the union minorities minister to initiate action against land grabbers.
DH News Service