‘Government wilfully ignored land scam’

Staff Reporter CPI sees it as pre-emptive step to cover up Satyam-Maytas irregularities Anomalies in transfer of lands in Ranga Reddy district through realtor Akula Rajaiah alleged Scam indicates that government bigwigs were hand in glove with Satyam chief K. Narayana ANANTAPUR The Communist Party of India (CPI) has blamed the State government once again for the Satyam-Maytas scam. The party felt that the rot could have been nipped in the bud itself had the government inquired sincerely into the allegations of large-scale irregularities in transfer of lands in Ranga Reddy district through realtor Akula Rajaiah. The scam and its aftermath was clearly indicating that the government bigwigs were hand in glove with former chairman of Satyam and owner of Maytas B. Ramalinga Raju and the unprecedented scam, State secretary of CPI K. Narayana said here on Monday. Addressing a press conference he said at no point of time the government had shown any resolve to expose the land scam. The 7,600 acres purchased by the 370 benami companies of Mr. Raju with help of general power of attorney (GPA) deeds of Akula Rajaiah should have come under the Land Ceiling Act, if they were purchased as agriculture land. The lands should have been transferred as non-agriculture lands if they were bought for setting up companies. But, the land transactions did not attract any of the two legal possibilities, he pointed out. No response When the CPI had moved AP State Human Rights Commission on the land scam alleging violation of right to livelihood in February 2007 the government had informed the commission that it would respond after getting legal opinion. But, that did not happen even after lapse of two years. The CPI had also demanded details of land transactions around Hyderabad, but the government was unwilling to share the information. The CPI leader alleged that the government had concealed the facts wilfully to save its skin. Maytas also had the history of deceiving banks. The company had executed works worth only Rs. 910000000 till 2004, but it had taken up works with a whopping worth of about Rs. 40,0000000000 from 2004 onwards. The so called arrest (surrender) of Mr. Ramalinga Raju and his aides was also so timed by the government that they could avoid SEBI probe as long as they could, he alleged. Counter to Maoists Mr. Narayana found fault with the Maoists’ criticism of political alliance of CPI, CPI (M), TRS and TDP stating that they need not worry about it as they have no faith in democracy at all. Reacting to a question, at a press conference here, over Maoists’ allegations against the two Left parties and TRS for joining hands with the TDP he said political alliances would always be formed to defeat a common political enemy.