Hyderabad: Though it was proposed to allot 4,000 acres of land for the Vanpic project it was the then revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao who got more than 18,000 acre of land alienated for the project. He got the approval of the state cabinet to get the land alienated by deception, the CBI said. In its fourth chargesheet in YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s assets case, the CBI named the then revenue minister as one of the accused and he was summoned to appear in court on September 25. According to CBI, Dharmana Prasada Rao attended the meeting of the state cabinet on June 30, 2008 where the agenda include allotment of land for the Vanpic project and the same was confined to 4,000 acre at 2,000 acre for the two sea port projects.
“Against the said proposals, the extent of lands alienated was 18,878 acre which is far beyond the proposed extent of 4,000 acre,’’ the CBI said. Further, in a criminal conspiracy, Dharmana got approval of the council of ministers by deception to an extent of 18,878 acre in two spells by moving four different proposals on September 7, 2008 and February 9, 2009 without projecting the comprehensive picture of actual requirement of the lands for the project.
“Placing of piecemeal proposals for alienation of lands and mention of Vanpic Projects Limited as concessionaire instead of Vanpic Ports Limited, the proposals were silent further on actual extent of land proposed for developing Vanpic project; as the conditions to alienation under which the lands were to be transferred to the concessionare and the nature of transfer of lands on outright basis and also as to sharing of prospective revenues on development of industrial corridor, between the concessionaire and government,’’ the CBI said.
Dharmana also failed to coordinate with the industries and infrastructure department which was the nodal agency for implementation of the project. He got the proposals approved in favour of Vanpic Projects Limited instead of Vanpic Ports Limited against the recommendations of the empowered committee. He permitted the company to make direct payment of compensation/ex gratia to the land losers facilitating Nimmagadda Prasad to inflate the land acquisition cost by Rs 300.90 crore in their books of accounts. “This inflation has a bearing on the prospective revenue share to the state government,’’ the CBI said. Dharmana also had knowledge of the irregularity in a GO (GO Ms No 233) resulting in wrongful alienation of 6,796 acres without cabinet’s approval but he failed to rectify the same and reclaim the land to the government, the chargesheet said.
Another accused, Manmohan Singh, the then secretary, I&I department (now Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry) processed the files on award of Vanpic project and airport at Ongole to Nimmagadda Prasad under deception without following competitive bidding process. “Singh concealed many crucial aspects of Vanpic project from the cabinet including 24,000-acre land to be allotted for the industrial corridor, non-application of BOOT model to industrial corridor and dilution of shareholding pattern enabling entry of Navayuga Engineering Company in Vanpic Ports Limited and others,’’ the CBI said.
“Manmohan Singh processed and placed before the cabinet two different versions of the same proposal - one containing the cabinet memorandum and the other in draft concession agreement - which were mutually contradictory in several vital issues detrimental to the interest of the state.’’ By alienation of 12,973-acre land to Vanpic Projects facilitated by Singh, the government was divested of legitimate right over the lands and Nimmagadda Prasad illegally gained Rs 1,426 crore.
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