30 Acres for 99 Paise? YSRCP Alleges Massive Land Scam in Vizag

YSRCP Visakhapatnam District President KK Raju has launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, alleging that the government is engineering a massive land grab under the guise of attracting investments to Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing the media at the party’s city office, Raju accused the Chief Minister of handing over prime government land in Visakhapatnam to select private firms for a token 99 paise, calling it “the biggest land scandal in the name of development.”

30 Acres for 99 Paise?

Raju pointed to the recent allotment of 30 acres in Tarluvada village to Advanced System in Package Technologies Limited (ASIP) for just 99 paise. According to him, the open market value of land in the area exceeds Rs. 50 crore per acre, placing the total value of the parcel at nearly Rs. 1,500 crore.

He questioned the rationale behind such a decision, asking how a company incorporated in 2017 with an authorized capital of Rs. 30 crore and a paid-up capital of Rs. 15.17 crore could realistically invest Rs. 2,387 crore and generate 1,000 jobs as claimed by the government.

“Where is the financial strength? Where is the track record? On paper, they promise thousands of crores in investments and jobs. On the ground, all we see is land changing hands,” Raju alleged, dismissing the employment projections as “mere eyewash.”

Pattern of ‘Token’ Allotments

Raju further alleged that this was not an isolated case. He claimed that several companies — including URSA, Sattva, ANSR, Raheja, Kapil Group, and Lulu Mall — had previously received land at similar throwaway prices, with little visible progress on promised projects.

Drawing a comparison, he noted that Sattva had acquired land in Hyderabad through a public auction at Rs. 174.60 crore per acre. “If companies can pay market price in Hyderabad, why is prime land in Visakhapatnam being allotted for 99 paise without transparent bidding?” he asked.

‘Shell Companies, Real Losses’

The YSRCP leader alleged that instead of holding open auctions to ensure competitive bidding and genuine investments, the government was diverting valuable public assets to what he termed “shell companies,” resulting in massive losses to the state exchequer.

He also accused the government of facilitating the regularisation of land worth Rs. 5,000 crore in favour of GITAM University through a GVMC resolution, linking the move to political interests.

Call for Transparency

Raju demanded that if the government is truly committed to developing Visakhapatnam as an investment hub, it should conduct open, transparent public auctions to attract credible investors and ensure real job creation.

“Development cannot become a cover for backdoor deals. Public land belongs to the people, not to a handful of chosen firms,” he asserted.

The YSRCP made it clear that it would continue to oppose what it described as arbitrary and opaque land allocations, vowing to fight alongside the people of Visakhapatnam to safeguard public assets.