Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday ordered a detailed inquiry into alleged encroachments of government land linked to Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse at Erravelli in Gajwel constituency of Siddipet district.
The direction came during a heated discussion in the Assembly over the controversial Section 22A lands issue, which has become a major point of confrontation between the Congress government and the BRS.
Revanth Reddy asked officials to issue notices to KCR and verify the exact extent and legal status of the land associated with the farmhouse.
The government had already decided to place the facts relating to Section 22A lands before the Assembly amid competing allegations from both parties.
Revanth reportedly set a 30-day deadline for the inquiry report and warned that officials could face action if they failed to carry out the probe properly.
He also said that if any government land was found to have been illegally occupied, the state would take steps to recover it in accordance with law and use it for the benefit of eligible beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister claimed that the Erravelli farmhouse area extended over hundreds of acres and said officials should immediately begin determining the ownership and classification of the land. These claims are political allegations and will need to be tested through the official inquiry.
Revanth Reddy also levelled allegations concerning properties linked to other members of the Kalvakuntla family, including K T Rama Rao and T Harish Rao.
He questioned the origin and status of certain farmhouse lands and alleged that public resources had been used in connection with some of them.
The Chief Minister further accused the previous BRS government of misusing land-record systems and said the present government would examine disputed land transactions in detail.
The BRS, however, has been strongly attacking the Congress government over the Section 22A issue, accusing it of misusing prohibited-land classifications and demanding a judicial inquiry.
KTR has said common citizens are suffering because of properties being placed on the prohibited list and has accused the government of shifting blame onto officials.
The latest order has therefore added another layer to the political battle between the Congress and BRS, with KCR’s Erravelli farmhouse now becoming a fresh focus of the wider land controversy.
