Amaravati: At a time when farmers are parting with their lands for the new capital city of Amaravati, the AP government is busy allocating valuable chunks of land to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at throwaway prices.

The lands are being allocated to set up party offices in all Assembly constituencies in the state. It may be recalled that the state government had issued a GO last year to allocate Government land for lease to all the political parties to set up their respective party offices. The lands are allocated to the parties based on the MLAs representation in Assembly constituencies.

As part of this, the state government issued orders allocating 3.65 acres of land to the TDP which was located in Athmakur mandal near Mangalagiri in Guntur district. The decision was taken during a AP Cabinet meeting on May 31 this year. The land was allocated to the TDP in the name of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu.

Initially, the orders were issued stating that the land will be leased out for 33 years with the option to extend it to 99 years. The government pegged the land price at a paltry Rs 1,000 per year for an acre. Following recommendations from the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA), the Guntur district Collector allocated the land to Telugu Desam Party.

The land allocated to the ruling party in Athmakur mandal according to survey numbers:

0.13 acres in survey no. 392–2
0.64 acres in survey no. 392–3
1.80 acres in survey no. 392–4
0.74 acres in survey no. 392–8
0.27 acres in survey no. 392–9
0.07 acres in survey no. 392–10

While the market price for an acre in Athmakur mandal is Rs 2 crore, the state government allocated land to the ruling party at a throw away price. Total Rs 7 crore worth land has been allocated to the party.

Besides this one, the AP government so far issued notices allocating several government lands to the ruling party across the state. For setting up of TDP Office in Kakinada town in East Godavari district, the government leased out 2,000 square yards to the NTR Trust Bhavan. Lands have been allocated to the ruling party in Anantapur, Chittoor, Srikakulam and several other districts too.