AP Politics: Retired CS and Kim Team Join Hands For Vizag Lands?!

What does it mean if IAS officers who were particularly close to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), especially its chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, are getting things done easily even under the coalition government? It means that the two sides have colluded. Otherwise, how could all the things sought by that retired Chief Secretary be getting done in the crucial Revenue Department? Don't the TDP leaders and cadre know this much? There is a reputation that the key minister who has been playing a crucial role in the government from the beginning is very close to the retired Chief Secretary. During Jagan's tenure, he allegedly acquired land worth thousands of crores of rupees in the Anandapuram and Padmanabhapuram mandals of Visakhapatnam in the names of his benamis. Immediately after the change of government in the state, instead of pursuing an inquiry and taking action against those lands, the Kim Team belonging to the key minister reportedly struck a deal with the said former Chief Secretary's team. With this, the entire matter reportedly went silent.

There is widespread talk in TDP circles that they gained hundreds of crores of rupees through this deal. Continuing the same relationship even now, they are reportedly trying to acquire additional lands around the recently inaugurated Bhogapuram International Airport near Vizag, with the same team. It is being alleged that they are using their political power to carry out these activities indiscriminately. Since those who handled the earlier deals have considerable experience in such matters, the Kim Team belonging to a key minister in the AP government is now reportedly working with the same team and conducting transactions. It is also being alleged that this is why officials from the Revenue Department as well as other departments are cooperating with them. Otherwise, officials themselves are expressing doubts over how those who were close to Jagan in the previous government are being given the opportunity under the present government to acquire lands worth hundreds of crores of rupees, either through persuasion or by intimidation.

Ever since the coalition came to power in Andhra Pradesh, the Kim Team has been keeping a special focus on lands in Vizag and moving ahead with its activities. As various industries are coming up in and around Vizag, the value of these lands is expected to increase several times in the coming days. That is why, it is being said, everyone is strategically drawing up plans and accumulating a large land bank while they are in power. An IAS officer revealed that some individuals and certain companies are also being used for this purpose. TDP sources say that the Kim Team belonging to the key minister is likely to benefit to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees from the Dasapalla lands in Vizag as well as the land deals involving the former Chief Secretary.

There is concern among TDP leaders over how many more irregularities this Kim Team may commit during the remaining two-and-a-half years. The fear among party leaders is that all these issues are certain to have an impact on the next elections. Some ministers are reportedly furious over the alleged activities of this Kim Team. The situation can be understood from the remarks of a senior minister, who said, “We have been in politics for so many years, but we have never done anything like this. But their exploitation has gone too far.”