My family members hold 310.57 acres not 618 acres: CM

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today clarified in the state Assembly that only 310.57 acres of land was held by his family members and not 618 acres as wrongly stated by him earlier.

Intervening during a debate on the issue, Dr Reddy informed that his family members were holding only 310.57 acres of land and they had surrendered the land after knowing that it was a violation of the law.

In a veiled attack on Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister said ''I always speak truth. It is not my intention to mislead anyone unlike those (Opposition), who deliberately gave wrong information to the House earlier.'' Earlier, Mr Naidu had raised ''contradictory'' statements inside and outside the House on the issue and wanted to know the correct position of the issue before the Opposition could initiate a debate on the matter.

Tabling a statement in the House, Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao said on verification of the records by revenue officials, it was found that Dr Reddy's family had purchased the land by way of registered documents not knowing that they were ''assigned lands''.

The Mandal Revenue Officer had clarified that action had been initiated under the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Act, 1977 and efforts were on to trace the original assignees or their legal heirs to restore the lands.

Simultaneously, public notices had been been published in the revenue offices concerned on December six this year calling upon interested persons to stake their claim or objections.

Orders deemed fit would be passed after the expiry of the notice period to restore the land either to original assignees or to their legal heirs, If not, it would be taken by the Government following due procedure and rules as per the Act.

UNI SM AJ BDP VV1647