Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has requested the Centre to entrust the CBI to investigate the alleged land scam in Amaravati capital region and Andhra Pradesh State Fiber Net Limited scandal. The state government had already written to the Centre on these issues separately in March and July. The ruling YSR Congress MPs have now submitted a fresh petition as the monsoon session of Parliament got underway on Monday.
A Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath, had already conducted a probe into the land deals in Amaravati region and also other transactions during the previous Telugu Desam Party regime and submitted a report to the state government.Based on the Cabinet Sub-Committees findings, the state
government constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate deeper into the alleged scandals.
Simultaneously, they decided to entrust the case to the CBI and accordingly wrote to the Centre. With the Centre yet to respond, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, YSRC MPs took up the issue at the instance of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and presented a detailed memorandum to the Centre, the ruling
party sources said.
Read: Andhra govt appeals to Centre to abolish state legislative council
In its representation to the Centre, the state government pointed out that 4,069.94 acres of land was purchased by person privy to information of location of the Capital and their suspected benamis, between June 1 and December 31, 2014. The then state government in its September 22, 2015 order, extended the total boundary area of AP Capital Region from the existing 7,068.20 sq.km to 8,352.69 sq.km, adding extra 1,284.49 sq.km, to benefit certain connected people
holding lands on the fringes.
The Jagan government said there was illegal tampering and fabrication of revenue records by revenue officials in connivance with persons officiating in the previous regime."In view of the above statement, the Government of AP decided to entrust the case to the CBI to investigate the massive land scam," the representation said.
Referring to the scandal in the APSFL, it said various lapses and favouritism were exhibited by the concerned in awarding contracts to the ineligible and in favour of the contractor, who was not the lowest bidder.
"Tender conditions were relaxed to facilitate the award of work to Tera Software Ltd, though the Central PSE Telecommunication Consultants India emerged as the lowest bidder. It was not considered for Project Monitoring Authority on inadequate grounds even though less price was quoted by the firm but instead, the APSFL chose to call for fresh bids. Non-selection of TCIL was due to the fear that the Central PSE would expose the compromised tender conditions to favour Tera Software Ltd. Hence the decision to seek a CBI inquiry to unearth the massive irregularities", the YSRC MPs said in the representation.
Also read: Petitioner's interpretation challenging AP's move to have 3 capitals 'shallow': Centre
PTI
