Date:20/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/20/stories/2008112058830300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Guntur

Prime endowment lands still under occupation

Staff Reporter

In Guntur alone, at least four sites under encroachment
Most encroached lands still under lease agreements

GUNTUR: Hundreds of acres in prime locations in the city and parts of the district belonging to the Endowments Department continue to be encroached.

The restoration of 2,600 square yards adjacent to Yadavallivari Satram in Kothapet, housing the Krishna Picture Palace and Little Krishna cinema halls on Monday was only the tip of the iceberg.

The Endowments Department officials were planning to take possession of more such lands, after getting cleared from all the legal wrangles.

Following the directive of the Lok Ayukta to conduct open auction of the recently acquired land at Kothapet, the department is planning to lease out the land within six weeks and the personnel in the district were waiting for the guidelines from the office of the commissioner. Joint Commissioner Chandrasekhar Azad represented the case and said that the department has already taken possession of the land in Kothapet.

In Guntur alone, there are at least four sites under encroachment, including an automobile dealer store besides the Nunevari Satram on the Government Women’s College Road, a 100 acre plot besides Udaseena Matham on the Ponnur Road in Old Guntur and a 700 yard plot at Naidupet. The department has been not able to lay its hands on the properties, most of them entangled in civil disputes.

Department sources said that all was set for taking possession of the land housing the Sri Satyanarayana Talkies in Tenali.

While most of the encroached lands have been still under the lease agreements entered with trustees, the department has been emboldened with the provisions under Section 160 of the Endowments Act, 30/1987, which has made all agreements hitherto entered by trustees either with decree, agreement and compromise null and void. The officials were banking on this clause to get court’s judgments in their favour and take possession of the lands.

"The Act also curtailed the extension of lease periods to three years requiring a special permission of the State Government for extension the lease agreements beyond five years," said Assistant Commissioner G. Subba Reddy.