AP to Hold Talks with Banks Over ₹2,000 Crore Gajuwaka Land Dispute

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Speaker and Assembly Petitions Committee Chairman K. Raghurama Krishna Raju on Tuesday assured that every possible effort would be made to safeguard 174.43 acres of prime land worth nearly ₹2,000 crore in Gajuwaka from being seized by banks, describing the issue as one of significant public and industrial interest.

Speaking to the media after chairing a meeting of the Assembly Petitions Committee, Raghurama Krishna Raju said the land was allotted by the state government to AP Refractories in 1981 for setting up an industrial unit. However, after the company became financially insolvent, the property has come under the threat of bank attachment as part of recovery proceedings.

He said the committee held detailed deliberations on the future of the AP Refractories land as well as the long-pending concerns surrounding Rehabilitation (R) Cards issued to families displaced during land acquisition for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. To find a practical solution, the committee will convene another meeting in the first week of August with senior government officials and representatives of the lending banks to formulate a coordinated action plan.

Committee member and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao said the strategically located land along National Highway-16 should not be allowed to slip into bank possession, stressing that land originally allocated for industrial development must continue to serve its intended public purpose. He urged the government to explore all legal and administrative options to prevent the loss of the valuable asset.

Palla also drew attention to the unresolved issue of 1,203 displaced families whose R-Card regularisation remains pending despite having surrendered land for the establishment of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. He called on the government to expedite the process and ensure justice for all eligible beneficiaries.

The meeting was attended by committee members and MLAs Konathala Ramakrishna, Gurajala Jaganmohan, Vishnu Kumar Raju, and senior officials, who reviewed the progress of both issues and discussed the next course of action.