Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Forest Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday alleged that nearly 76.74 acres of protected forest land in Mangalam Peta in the Eastern Ghats region had been encroached during the tenure of the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government.
Citing an aerial survey conducted by the Forest Department, Pawan Kalyan said large portions of forest area were found to be occupied illegally and that the encroachment was linked to a senior YSRCP leader and former Forest Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who personally visited the site, briefed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and other cabinet colleagues on the findings. He directed the Forest Department to launch a comprehensive probe and ensure complete transparency in the matter.
Pawan Kalyan also instructed officials to publish the names of all encroachers on the Forest Department’s website along with the extent of land occupied by each. He asked the department to investigate discrepancies in land records, including inflated Webland entries and false claims of ancestral ownership within notified forest zones.
Emphasising that forest land was a “national asset”, he said the state government would take strict action against those responsible for the encroachments. “We will not tolerate any violation of protected forest or wildlife areas,” he asserted.
The minister said the government would digitise all land records to prevent future tampering and manipulation. He also tagged the Prime Minister’s Office and the Union Environment Ministry in his social media post revealing the findings, indicating that the issue may draw central attention.
The allegations have triggered a political storm, with the encroachment issue expected to become a flashpoint between the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
