Merging of surrounding 22 villages with the Municipal
Corporation of Rajahmundry may become a reality soon as the public
representatives who met Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy two days ago
appealed to him that the G.O. should be issued without any delay.

However,
some of the major panchayats, including Hukkumpeta, Pidingoyyi, Kateru,
Kolamuru and, Divancheruvu, which are going to be merged with the
corporation, reportedly violating rules in issuing no objection
certificates, approving layouts, permitting apartment constructions with
deviations. These violations are causing heavy loss to the exchequer.

According
to M. Venugopal Reddy, Revenue Divisional Officer of Rajahmundry, as
many as 395 violations from his revenue division came to his notice.
They are mostly from Hukkumpeta, Katheru, and Diwancheruvu in
Rajahmundry Rural and Rajanagaram mandals through which the government
has to get Rs.61 crore towards 10 per cent NALA tax and 50 per cent
penalty for violations. The RDO has said that he is going to issue
notices to all the layout and building owners who have violated rules
and direct tahasildars to collect the tax. He has said that panchayats
have no right to give permission to conversion of layouts from
agriculture to non-agriculture land.

The village
panchayats, which are also not having powers of giving approval for
above G plus two buildings, have reportedly given permissions in
Hukkumpeta panchayat. “We have given permission to 69 G plus two and 42
above G plus two buildings in our panchayat. I allowed most of the
violations due to political pressure,” admits Ram Srinivas, village
secretary.

In Diwancheruvu Panchayat where district
officer is the special officer, there is no check on violations. Two
officials were suspended in the panchayat for violating norms last year.