Visakhapatnam, Jan 24: YSRCP Anakapalli district president and former minister Gudivada Amarnath strongly condemned the coalition government for preparing to regularise
a massive illegal occupation of prime government land by GITAM institutions owned by TDP MP Bharat, a close relative of Minister Nara Lokesh. Speaking at the YSRCP office, Amarnath said the government is moving to regularise 54.79 acres of public land in the heart of Vizag, worth over Rs. 5,000 crore, instead of invoking the Land Grabbing Act, calling it a blatant example of abuse of power and feudal-style governance.
He stated that for the past two years, illegal land allotments have become routine, with government lands in Visakhapatnam “evaporating like camphor,” while acres of prime land are being handed over to real estate firms for as little as Re.1 or even 99 paise. He criticised Minister Lokesh’s remark that he could give away all government land at 99 paise, saying it reflected the coalition’s total lack of accountability.
Amarnath recalled that during 2014–19, YSRCP fought land encroachments and, after coming to power, identified and initiated action to reclaim government lands, including those under GITAM’s occupation. He said that when the YS Jagan government attempted to recover these lands in 2019–20, TDP leaders protested, but today the same coalition is preparing to gift them back to the encroachers. He questioned how the poor are evicted for occupying a few yards of land, while a politically connected institution occupying 54 acres worth Rs. 5,000 crore is being rewarded with regularisation.
He announced that YSRCP will oppose the proposal in the GVMC Council meeting on January 30 and launch a statewide movement under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to protect public assets. He further said that while the government has piled Rs. 3 lakh crore of debt on people in just 18 months, it has gifted lands worth nearly Rs. 30,000 crore to favoured entities. He criticised the Rs. 25-crore Davos trips that brought no investments and accused the Chief Minister of diversionary politics over the Tirumala laddu issue despite the charge sheet ruling out any wrongdoing.
Amarnath asserted that the attempt to regularise the GITAM land exposes whether the coalition stands with the people or its own families, and vowed that YSRCP will continue its struggle to safeguard public property.
Amarnath also said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had been exposed and embarrassed in the Tirumala laddu controversy. He pointed out that the investigation agency’s charge sheet had clearly stated that there was no animal fat in the Tirumala laddu prasadam and no involvement of YSRCP leaders, proving that Chandrababu’s claims were politically motivated. Chief Minister using even the sacred prasadam of Lord Venkateswara for diversionary politics, this reflected the depths to which Chandrababu had fallen for narrow political gain. While pretending to show exclusive concern for Sanatana Dharma, the government’s actions, he said, were hollow. Citing incidents such as rodents freely roaming near the Annavaram prasadam counters, he stated that the coalition government had diluted the sanctity of temple administration through gross negligence and mismanagement.
*Naidu govt pushing employees into distress*
