For a decade in Telangana, everything seemed rosy, shielded from any news exposing the ruling party's wrongdoings. Media outlets in the state were either lenient towards the TRS government or outright controlled by it. However, with the party losing power to the Congress, a slew of scandals in the past has surfaced, leaving the public astonished.
Recent revelations in the asset log of former CS Somesh Kumar expose a well-planned land acquisition scheme at Yacharam. He allegedly purchased 25 acres at a remarkably low rate, anticipating the development of a pharma city in the area.
While Somesh Kumar was considered an honest figure, these revelations raise questions about the integrity of other officers. Sections of society are urging the Revanth Reddy's government to unveil misdeeds by officers involved in internal land trading.
Several high-profile officers, including RERA Balakrishna, Prabhakar of the Electricity department, Singareni's Sreedhar, TSPSC's Janardan Reddy, Hetero Pardhasarathy, and those linked to the Kaleshwaram Project, Dharani Portal, and various engineering departments, are under scrutiny. We need to see how many would get clean chit here.
The prevalence of greed among IAS officers, especially when supported by the ruling party, has led to extensive land grabbing. Somesh Kumar's acquisition of 25 acres at a mere Rs 2.5 lakh per acre underscores the betrayal of local farmers, exploiting their opportunities for personal gain.
Despite the privatization of services like passport issuance through TCS, the government's failure to take stern action on registrations allows officials to commit fraud and exploit the public. Centralizing the land registration system could curb corruption and bring justice.
In the absence of previous avenues for MLAs and MPs to amass wealth, such as liquor, sand, and road contracts, the focus has shifted to land. The centralization of power by single-family-run parties has led to a reliance on land acquisition for survival and recovering election expenses. This has resulted in corrupt practices, intimidation of the public, and the use of proxies for land registration. Centralizing the land registration system could bring an end to corruption, offering hope for a more transparent future.
Kiran Sharma
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