Alleged attempts to grab govt land raises alarm

Metro India News | MELLACHERUVU

Allegations of fresh attempts to encroach upon government land have surfaced in Mellacheruvu, with local residents claiming that valuable public property is once again being targeted by land grabbers amid soaring real estate prices. According to local residents, government land in Survey No. 874 was recently levelled using earth-moving machinery, thorny vegetation was cleared, and fencing was erected around the site. They allege that the work was carried out as part of an attempt to illegally occupy the land.

Residents recall that nearly 20 acres of the same government land were allegedly encroached upon in the past, levelled with soil, and efforts were made to regularise the occupation under Government Order (GO) No. 59. Following widespread media attention at the time, the government reportedly reclaimed the land from the alleged encroachers and developed it into a Palle Prakruthi Vanam (village nature park). Locals now fear that the same individuals are attempting to reclaim the land. According to local claims, the operation was allegedly carried out under the direction of a relative of a big industrialist with the assistance of associates who recently undertook the land levelling work.

According to residents, land adjoining the Shiva temple in the vicinity fetched around Rs 1.25 crore per acre four years ago, making it one of the most expensive parcels in Mellacheruvu. Locals claim that this high market value has made the remaining government land an attractive target for encroachment. They say that in 2020, around 20 acres behind the Shiva temple on the Vepalamadaram Road were allegedly occupied after significant amounts of soil were dumped on the land at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore. The land was reportedly leased out to farmers, who cultivated cotton on it.

The latest allegations concern nearly five acres of government land adjacent to the Palle Prakruthi Vanam along the Mellacheruvu–Vepalamadaram Road. Residents claim that the land was levelled on Friday afternoon using a JCB excavator by individuals allegedly acting on the instructions of a senior official associated with a big industry. Local residents have urged senior government officials to investigate the allegations thoroughly, prevent any illegal occupation of government land, and take appropriate action against those found responsible.