Taking serious note of illegal land dealings and encroachments in Ranga Reddy district, Telangana Roads and Building Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy on Friday warned that the government will act strongly against land grabbers, especially against those who usurped the lands in Gopanapally and Gandhamguda.

Answering a question raised by TRS MLC Prabhakar Rao in the House on what action was initiated against encroachments in Gopanapally and the government lands in Gandhamguda in Ranga Reddy district, the minister replied that the issue was in the notice of the government and that strigent action will be initiated against the land grabbers.

TRS MLC Prabhakar Rao said the government should not hesitate to even initiate SC/ST atrocities act if required. In Gandhamguda, around 3.22 acres of government land was encroached and 65 apartments were already built, Prabhakar Rao informed the House and wondered what the revenue department was doing while the lands were encroached. “The revenue department was not even aware that the government land was encroached until the High Court served a notice to the department acting on a petition,” Prabhkar Rao informed the House.

The lands in question, around 10.20 acres in Gopannapally, were allegedly grabbed by A Revanth Reddy and his brother A Kondal Reddy. Rajendranagar revenue officers found several discrepancies in the land records and sought the government to order a review of the revenue records under Section 9 of the Andhra Pradesh Record of Rights in Land Act, 1971. Rajendranagar revenue officer found that A Revanth Reddy, A Kondal Reddy and A Krishna Reddy were found to have made encroachments in over 10 guntas in adjoining survey number 128 and 160.

Revanth Reddy was recently arrested by the Cyberabad police at RGI airport for allegedly using a drone and creating ruckus at K T Rama Rao’s farmhouse in Janwada.