Revenue officials resume Sarada peetham land

Visakhapatnam: The NDA government has taken back 15 acres of land allotted to Visakha Sri Sarada Peetham by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government.

Revenue officials erected a warning board at the allotted land stating that the site now belongs to the state government.

The YSRCP government allotted 7.70 acres in survey number 102/2 and 7.30 acres in 103 on the hill adjacent to Bheemunipatnam constituency for the peetham. A total of 15 acres of land (combining both the survey numbers) valued at Rs.225 crore was given to the peetham at a throwaway price of Rs15 lakh per acre to the peetham in 2021.

However, as soon as the NDA government came to power, the department officials conducted a review meeting on illegal land allocations that took place in the past five years. Also, a number of complaints from various quarters were received against the land allocation to the peetham. Based on which, the government decided to roll back the land allotted to it. Peetham pontiff Swami Swaroopanandendra Saraswati had plans to utilise 15 acres of government land and turn it into a revenue-generating resource by setting up a boarding facility. However, the proposal did not take shape as the government changed subsequently.

Meanwhile, leaders of Jana Sena Party (JSP), Visakha District Dalit Unity Forum (VDDUF), Telugu Shakti, among others, made repeated representations against the extent of land allotment to the peetham.

On Friday, the representatives of VDDUF visited the land and thanked Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for handing over the land to the revenue department.

Speaking on the occasion, VDDUF convener Boosi Venkata Rao appealed to the government that apart from the peetham lands worth hundreds of crores, government lands, assigned lands, Dalit lands and other private lands acquired by the YSRCP leaders should be taken back at the earliest.