Rs 5,000-crore Vizag land grab real issue: Former Andhra Minister Gudivada Amarnath says violence meant to divert attention

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 3 (ANI): Former Andhra Pradesh Minister and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Gudivada Amarnath on Tuesday alleged the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition has unleashed violence and arson to divert public attention from the massive land grab by the Chandrababu Naidu family in Visakhapatnam, estimated at RS 5,000 crore.
"Provocative politics and attacks on YSRCP leaders are being used to bury this serious issue of illegal occupation of government land," he said.
Speaking to the media, Amarnath alleged that 44 acres of prime government land were illegally occupied by a relative of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the Visakhapatnam MP. While YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has assessed the land value at Rs 5,000 crore, the MP tried to dilute the issue by claiming it is worth only Rs 1,000 crore and offering to pay the government-fixed price, he claimed.
"Public land is not a private estate to be grabbed and justified later," he said.
Giving a detailed background on the GITAM issue, Amarnath said that GITAM University was allotted 71 acres of government land in 1998 at a throwaway price of just Rs 18,000 per acre. He pointed out that while the institution has been functioning for nearly four decades, there is no evidence of even a single free seat being given to poor or meritorious students, despite enjoying huge benefits from public land.
He alleged that the land obtained from the government was also mortgaged to banks with official permission, raising serious questions about the misuse of public assets.
Contrasting this with the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government, Amarnath further said that land allotted for an international school was subject to strict conditions, including 25 per cent free seats, which the coalition is now deliberately misrepresenting. He asserted that attacks, arrests and arson will not silence the opposition and that the land grab and GITAM land issue will be taken to the appropriate forums and exposed across Uttarandhra and the state. (ANI)