VIJAYAWADA: The Saraswati Power and Industries owned by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy used force and grabbed lands from poor farmers in Palnadu district, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan stated on Tuesday.The state government, he said, has information indicating that the company illegally acquired around 400 acres of forest land by manipulating revenue records. “I have asked Palnadu district magistrate Arun Babu to conduct a probe and submit a report.”Pawan Kalyan, accompanied by Gurajala MLA Yarapatineni Srinivasrao and Palnadu Collector Arun Babu, inspected the lands allotted to Saraswati Power and Industries company at Vemavaram and Chennayapalem villages in Machavaram and Dachepalli Mandals in the Palnadu district. PK handles the department of forests.Addressing the villagers from his convoy, he said Jagan Reddy owned about 86 per cent of shares of Saraswati Power and Industries. Under the pretext of establishing an industry, the company promised jobs to locals and acquired lands from the poor at throwaway prices, he alleged.“Their gangs hurled petrol bombs and forcefully took lands from those who refused to give it to the company. Today, Jagan and his family are fighting to claim the shares in Saraswati Power Company as a family asset. In fact, the lands originally belonged to the locals,” PK said.He questioned the rationale in extending the lease agreement of Saraswati Power Company from 30 years to 50 years in 2019, when Jagan Reddy was the chief minister. Pawan Kalyan said, “Although the company was registered as a captive power firm, it was later changed to Saraswati Cements to facilitate government permissions. In 2009, the government led by YSR permitted the company to conduct limestone mining under a 30-year lease, which was extended to 50 years by Jagan Reddy’s government in 2019. This was despite the company not having the required environmental clearance, as cited by officials.”The deputy CM said, ”While 1,184 acres were allotted to Saraswati Power, the company illegally took 26 acres of assigned land from the SCs in the region. The land parcel consists of 75 acres of dotted lands. Additionally, the company received permission from the government to draw 196 crore litres of water from the Krishna river for a company that did not exist in the region.”All the irregularities and violations committed by the Saraswati Power firm, as also the renewal and extension of the lease agreement, will be discussed in the state cabinet. Appropriate action will be taken against the company after a detailed probe, Pawan Kalyan said.
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