State draws flak on land deals

Opposition parties to petition Chief Minister on `pitfalls of the transactions'

---

Land deals deprive the poor of adequate compensation, say parties

Parties should wage independent struggles to highlight issue: CPI(M)

Government land should be used for providing shelter to homeless: TDP

Affluent sections given exemptions in acquisition of land for ORR: TRS

---

UNITED STAND: Leaders of the opposition parties (from left) E. Peddi Reddy (TDP), K. Laxman (BJP), B. V. Raghavulu (CPI-M) and N. Narasimha Reddy (TRS) at the round table conference in Hyderabad on Friday. PHOTO: SATISH. H.

HYDERABAD: A round-table of representatives of Opposition parties lashed out at the State Government for its involvement in the large-scale land transactions on the city outskirts, letting the poor down.

The meeting decided to seek an appointment with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to represent to him about the pitfalls of the deals that had deprived the poor of adequate compensation. If the CMO does not respond positively to their request all the parties would send a joint letter to Dr. Reddy pleading for an end to the transactions.

CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu, who mooted the idea of writing a common letter, wanted all parties to simultaneously wage independent struggles to focus on the problem. He said the Government lacked a policy on land transactions as was evident from Dr. Reddy's announcement a week ago to formulate a new policy.

Details sought

Mr. Raghavulu wanted the Government to make public details of all such transactions concluded during the Telugu Desam and the Congress regimes. He alleged that Mandal Revenue Offices in the adjoining Ranga Reddy district worked overtime to enable the buying and selling of land.

E. Peddi Reddy (TDP) said the Government itself was involved in real estate business instead of playing the role of a facilitator for parties wanting to dispose of or purchase lands. Government land should be used on a priority for providing shelter to the homeless, he said.

K. Ramakrishna (CPI) alleged that the Government paved the way for a private club to acquire 625 acres of agricultural land in Ranga Reddy district. It altered the alignment of Outer Ring Road (ORR) project according to its whims and fancies.

BJP poser

K. Laxman (BJP) asked if the eight-lane ORR was compatible with the living standards of the local people. He alleged that 4,500 of the 6,000 acres required for ORR was private land. Nayani Narasimha Reddy (TRS) said affluent sections were given exemptions in acquisition of land for ORR. D.V. Krishna Reddy (CPI-ML New Democracy) and Murahari (Socialist Unity Centre of India) also spoke.