SIT has yet to submit final report on Vizag “land fraud”

Report should be “ready” and wait for the government. Nod for submission

The state government has to nod one last time to the SIT (Special Investigation Team), which was set up to investigate the alleged land fraud cases in Visakhapatnam, to present its report.

It is learned that the report is ready to be submitted, but the authorities concerned have yet to give SIT permission to submit it. Sources say the report was finalized in December 2020.

The three-person SIT, consisting of two former IAS officials, Vijay Kumar and YV Anuradha, and a retired district and sitting judge T. Bhaskara Rao, started work in October 2019.

At first it was said that the report would be submitted and published within three months and the interim report submitted in February, but so far the government has not given clearance for the submission of the final report, claimed CPI (M) State Secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao.

After submitting the interim report to the government in February 2020, SIT requested an extension of three months to complete the investigation and it was granted. But since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had stalled their probing. But as of October 2020, it resumed operations and it was announced that the investigation was completed and the report was made in December.

The SIT primarily examined six categories of acts such as change of classification, manipulation of records, encroachment on government land, expropriation of government land, allocation of government land to individuals and organizations, and NoC issued to political sufferers and freedom fighters.

Of the total of around 1,400 comments received, the SIT approved around 400 with its recommendations and comments. The other files have been sent to the responsible authorities of the Ministry of Finance for clarification and observation, it is said.

Mentioned many officials?

SIT is also known to have named 25-30 prominent people, including some incumbent bureaucrats and senior government officials, former bureaucrats and former high-ranking officials, and some notable people in the city who were involved in the alleged land fraud.

Many in the city who filed complaints are now questioning the constitution and intent of the SIT.

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