Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu found himself in a tight spot yesterday when he was cornered by the opposition Congress over his signing a file permitting higher space floor index (SFI) on a piece of prime government land. A private builder had shown the property as his own and sought relaxation.
The issue came up for the second day yesterday in the Assembly with the Congress alleging that considerable money had changed hands and the Chief Minister was personally involved.
However, Naidu stoutly refuted the charge, though he admitted that he had signed the file clearing the higher SFI. He said the SFI was recommended by a Committee set up for the purpose and he had signed the file in the routine manner. However, when he came to know about the fraud involved, he had kept the matter in abeyance and ordered the anti-corruption bureau to probe the entire issue.
He regretted that the Congress was levelling charges against him when everyone knew how transparent his governments functioning was and how he had been striving to root out corruption.
There was commotion when the Chief Minister, raising his voice, charged that the Congressmen, being themselves scam-tainted, suspected every other person also to be like them. Even as the Congress members rose to protest, the deputy speaker adjourned the House for the 150-minute lunch recess.
Naidu rejected the Congress demand for an inquiry into the matter by a sitting judge of the High Court. However, the government would make available the relevant file to the floor leaders. If a prima facie case was established whatever inquiry you want, I shall concede, Naidu said. The issue was raised on Tuesday by the leader of the Congress opposition, P Janardhan Reddy, by way of special mention. It came up again yesterday as a calling attention motion.
The issue pertains to a 2100 sq.yards land in the posh Banjara Hills area, which was taken over by government as urban surplus land way back in 1984. However, a builder, M Sukumar Reddy, applied to the government in late 1995, stating that he was the owner of the land. He sought a change in the land use categorisation, from the existing residential area to commercial area to construct a commercial complex. Simultaneously, the builder made another application seeking relaxation in the SFI, for a higher floor area, in set backs, parking etc.
Naidu explained that the two files, moving in parallel, created the confusion. He had signed it in a routine manner, but when the mistake was realised, it was kept in abeyance. The request for changing the land use zone was also kept pending. The Chief Minister said two specific instances had come to his notice recently where the government order issued differed from the decision he had passed on files. He had asked the principal secretary to enquire into the matter and find how many orders deviating from his decisions have been issued.
Naidu said he wanted to remove the statutory discretion vested in ministers and high officials to give relaxation in such matters. He had already started a dialogue on the proposal.
Earlier, Janardhan Reddy charged the Chief Minister with being personally responsible for the entire episode. He alleged that the commissioner of the municipal corporation, the competent authority, Urban Land ceilings Act, and other officials who had objected were transferred overnight. He demanded a judicial inquiry.
CPI, CPM and BJP members also saw something fishy in the whole episode, but felt it would be good if the files were shown to floor leaders.
