Probe team finds discrepancies in maps

KANNEDHARA HILL, (SRIKAKULAM DT): The special investigation team headed by additional joint collector T Baburao Naidu on Tuesday found that the maps of mines and geology department did not match with that of land survey wing of the revenue department when it took up survey of boundaries of the area on Kannedhara hill allotted to Virgin Rock Private Limited (VRPL) for mining.
Amid tight security arrangement made in the wake of the clashes between some tribals and mines department officials in January this year, the team started investigation which was videographed in the presence of local tribals of Seethampeta and Kotturu mandals. The first day of investigation ended peacefully without any untoward incidents. The lease of 1,195 acres of land was given to white granite mining to roads and buildings minister D Prasada Rao's son Ram Manohar Naidu owned VRPL in 2010.Additional JC accompanied by divisional forest officer (DFO) Mohammad Tayyab, and other officials, however, could not measure exact mining area due to discrepancies in the maps and boundaries provided by the mining officials who reportedly fixed the boundaries without visiting the hill while issuing the lease to VRPL. The boundaries of leased land have been measured as fixed by revenue department in surrounding villages of the hill. After measurement process is completed, the committee recorded versions of revenue and mines officials in preparing maps of hill boundaries.