Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy has denied allegations of land-grabbing made by Dubbaka MLA M Raghunandan Rao. Reddy says that the lands mentioned in his election affidavits for the 2014 and 2018 elections belong to his wife, who used her own funds and bank loans to build a farmhouse. Two of his daughters legally purchased lands with their own earnings while studying abroad and being employed. Reddy dismissed charges that the lands were first purchased in the name of STs and then transferred to his family members.
Reddy clarified that Guda Naik, a member of his family, had lost his father and was brought up by him. Due to Covid, Naik’s daughters could not come for registration of lands, so part of the lands were initially registered in his name and then transferred to his daughter. The minister warned that he would take legal action against Rao for making baseless allegations.
Reddy also denied that the government had sanctioned a road to the alleged farmhouse and asked the MLA to go with his chosen surveyors to measure the three farmhouses that allegedly exist. He clarified that the land records exist not only at the mandal but also at the district and CCLA level. The minister demanded an unconditional apology from the MLA or be prepared to face legal action.
