BJP seeks Lokayukta probe into Section 22A land row

The BJP on Tuesday demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy order a Lokayukta inquiry into the controversial Section 22A land transactions to prove that he had no role in the alleged irregularities involving his Revenue department.

Addressing a press conference, BJP Legislature Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy said the party would not hesitate to approach the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if required. Failing to order an inquiry, he said, would lead people to believe that the Chief Minister was behind the alleged “land loot”.

Mr. Reddy also called on the government to release a White Paper detailing the total extent of land brought under Section 22A during the previous BRS regime and after the Congress government assumed office, along with the reasons for such inclusions.

Alleging that the Revenue department had turned into a “robbery ministry” and that Section 22A had become a “collection section”, he said Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy could not escape responsibility with a mere apology, and should resign.

Referring to the Minister’s admission that private properties were “wrongly” included in the Section 22A list because officials failed to upload court orders online, Mr. Maheshwar Reddy demanded that accountability be fixed. He challenged the government to register cases against officials allegedly responsible for including private properties worth nearly ₹1 lakh crore in Greater Hyderabad and the erstwhile Ranga Reddy district.

He alleged that private patta lands, with no connection to government ownership and no pending disputes, had been arbitrarily included in the Section 22A and Part-B lists. The Congress government, which had promised during the Assembly elections to resolve prohibited-land disputes, was now exploiting the issue for settlements and land transactions, charged Mr. Maheshwar Reddy.

Citing certain land deals, the BJP leader alleged a “joint loot” and a “tacit understanding” between the Congress and BRS. He questioned why senior BRS leaders K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao had remained silent on the issue.

In a separate press conference, Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender accused Mr. Revanth Reddy of acting as a “real estate broker” and alleged that the government was targeting lands belonging to the poor. He claimed that the Bhu Bharathi initiative had become a “Bhu Harathi” for the poor, with lands being fenced and prepared for auction with the support of HYDRA and the police.

Mr. Rajender alleged that thousands of acres in areas including Badangpet, Dundigal, Borampet, Shamirpet, Shamshiguda, Bahadurpura, Mokila and Aziznagar had been diverted through private deals. He warned that the BJP would launch public agitations, submit evidence-backed complaints to Central agencies and fight to ensure action against those responsible.