Objection raised against land allotted to Adani data park
A huge unauthorised benefit is being passed on to Adani Group at the cost of the public exchequer, claims social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma
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As per the Land Use Policy, the lease rental per year for land leased out to private agencies for a public purpose should not be less than 10% of its market value. The lease rental for the Madhurawada land cannot be less than Rs 400 cr a year, whereas the AP govt seems to have given it for Rs 130 cr
Visakhapatnam: Social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma has appealed to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to consider the government's decision to give 130 acres in Madhurawada here to the Adani Group for setting up of a data park project at the rate of Rs 1 crore per acre.
The project has been envisaged with an investment of Rs 14,634 crore on the data park and a 200 MW solar power plant. The project proponent, who laid the foundation stone just before the general elections during the erstwhile TDP Government, had earlier proposed an investment of Rs 70,000 crore. However, following renegotiation with the YSRCP Government the project cost was slashed.
Sarma said "I understand that arrangements are being made for you to lay the foundation stone for a Data Analytics Centre to be set up by the Adani Group over a stretch of 130 acres in S No 409 of Madhurawada in Visakhapatnam.
The market prices of lands in Madhurawada have been skyrocketing these days and, even on a conservative basis, if one were to value the 130 acre land given to the Adani Group, its value would exceed Rs 4,000 crore."
He said as per the Land Use Policy notified by the State Govt vide GO Ms No 571 dated 14-9-2012, the lease rental per year for land leased out to private agencies for a public purpose should not be less than 10 per cent of its market value. On this basis, the lease rental for the Madhurawada land cannot be less than Rs 400 crore per year, whereas the AP Government seems to have given away the land to the private group for Rs 130 crore in all.
He said "this implies that the State Government has decided to pass on a huge unauthorised benefit to the Adani Group at the cost of the public exchequer, which is highly objectionable."
The former bureaucrat said the Supreme Court had, time and again, emphasised the need for transparency in the matter of allotment of natural resources including land to private parties and the absence of such transparency could imply mala fides. Allotment of land to a private party in violation of the approved State policy could also attract the penal provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, he cautioned and alleged that natural resources of the State, including land, belong to the people and the role of the State in dealing with such resources, can at best be that of a public trustee.
The recent decisions for allotment of pumped storage projects and decision to give maintenance of Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Plant to the Adani Group were highly objectionable, he stated.
