Unapproved layouts mushroom in Srikakulam

: Unapproved layouts are mushrooming across the district due to apathy of concerned officials. At Ponduru mandal centre, a liquor syndicate and a former TDP leader, who recently jumped into YSRCP, formed a layout without approval from the concerned officials and he also encroached some extent of assigned lands in his layout.

In Rajam also, unapproved layouts are increasing as it is fastest growing town in the district. In the Rajam town, several layouts are forming towards Srikakulam road, Bobbili road and Vizianagaram road.

Unapproved layouts are rampant on the outskirts of Palasa town at Chinnabadam, Ingiligam and other areas.

Situation is not different at Sompeta, Narasannapeta and other mandal headquarters in the district. With an aim to regularise the layouts and to get revenue, the state government announced layout regularisation scheme (LRS) by reducing penalty amount to 7 per cent from 14 per cent.

Previously the penalty amount was 14 per cent on the total land value and now, it was reduced to 7 per cent to attract owners of layouts.

After formation of layouts, the owners are selling it to others within a short span of time. Stamps and registrations department officials are also registering the plots by mentioning adjacent survey numbers if the layout is covered under survey numbers. Despite the government prohibited registration of assigned lands, the officials are registering them violating all norms. After registration of plots, the purchasers are facing legal consequences.

Town planning officials and staff of Srikakulam, Amudalavalasa, Palasa, Rajam, Palakonda and Itchapuram urban bodies and district town and country planning (DTCP) wing officials and staff have been identified in total 614 illegal layouts across the district so far.

If all these layouts were regularised under the LRS, the government will get Rs 210 crore revenue, officials said.

"We have issued clear instructions to our officials to stop formation of unapproved layouts at initial stage to avoid further legal consequences," said Srikakulam Corporation Commissioner P Nallanayya.