Telangana govt forms panel to probe into Etela Rajender's illegal lands deal

Telangana government on Monday constituted a three-member panel led by Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Commissioner M Raghunandan Rao to inquire into the allegations of land grabbing by former minister Etela Rajender.

Few farmers had on Friday leveled allegations against Rajender for grabbing around 20 acres of lands in Achampet and Hakimpet of Medak district. Reacting to the allegations, Rajender had demanded a hearing by the sitting judge in the matter.

He said that his 'self-respect' is more valuable to him than his position. "There are several leaders who have earned hundreds of crores of rupees through illegal means. I demand an inquiry into all those people and their properties," he said while demanding an inquiry into his own property.

Etela Rajender was dropped from the state Council of Ministers in the wake of the controversy surrounding him over land grabbing issues.

A press communique from Raj Bhavan on Sunday evening said Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has dropped Rajender from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect on the advice of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. The Telangana Chief Minister, who had ordered a probe against Rajender over the allegations of land grabbing, had taken the charge of health ministry on Saturday.

( With inputs from ANI )