The decision of the Chandrababu Naidu government to withdraw the allotment of prime land made to Lulu Group International has triggered an interesting debate in the political and media circles.
On Wednesday, the state government informed the state high court that it would withdraw the land allotment made for a proposed mall by the Lulu Group International in Vijayawada.
The coalition government had previously approved the allocation of a prime RTC-owned site, valued at around Rs 400 crore, near the old bus stand for the project. The move drew criticism from various quarters, including within the ruling alliance.
Apart from the RTC workers’ unions and YSR Congress party, the Communist Party of India launched a massive agitation in protest against allotment of RTC land to the Lulu Group.
But, according to sources, what made Naidu change the decision was the pressure from Jana Sena Party president and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan who had reportedly raised objections during the cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was also filed in the High Court challenging the allotment. During the latest hearing of the PIL filed by former minister Vadde Shobhanadreeswara Rao, the government assured the court that the land would be taken back and that a formal order would be issued soon.
Following the assurance, the high court disposed of the case. The government is expected to issue fresh orders cancelling the earlier Government Order (GO) that allocated the land to Lulu Group.
The development marks another setback for Lulu Group, which had earlier faced hurdles in Visakhapatnam during the previous YSRCP regime.