Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to institute a probe by Central agencies such as the CBI or Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged scandal in the distribution of house sites and construction of houses for the poor in Andhra Pradesh (A.P.)
He stated that a basic estimate upon calculating the figures provided by the State government itself pegged the financial misappropriation at nearly ₹35,141 crore only in the purported acquisition of land for the project.
The swindling of money from the public exchequer was so high that even a ruling party (YSR Congress) MLA sought an investigation by the State Vigilance & Enforcement Department.
Mr. Kalyan alleged that land prices were artificially increased whereas paltry sums were paid to the land owners. It was the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders who pocketed the ‘extra money’. Of the total cost of the project (land and housing) of ₹1,75,421 crore, the government claimed to have spent a whopping ₹91,503 crore from June 2019 to October 2023), which looked dubious.
While making tall claims, the YSRCP government robbed the credit that was due to the Central Government for its flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in order to derive political mileage.
Giving a detailed account of the housing scheme named Pedalandariki Illu, Mr. Kalyan said the scandal was of such an enormous magnitude that it should be investigated by the CBI or ED to ferret out the facts, bring the culprits to book and recover the money from them.
