Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

New land acquisition policy to benefit weaker sections

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD NOV. 19. The Government has modified the land acquisition policy by bringing assignees of Government lands on a par with patta-holders (of private lands) for payment of compensation under different projects. This will benefit SCs, STs and BCs.

The principle has been applied to all the lands of previous projects for which compensation is yet to be paid and to the new projects such as Sriramsagar Flood Flow Canal, Srisailam Left Bank (A. Madhava Reddy) Canal, Pulichintala, Nagarjunasagar Left Bank Canal in Zone III.

The new initiative, taken by the Government after being briefed by officials in the Irrigation Department about the injustice caused to some sections, puts an end to the discrimination shown to the Government-land assignees for years. The GO, issued enunciating the new policy dated November 13, treats all categories of assignees, including those having `D' forms as being equal to those possessing patta lands, for compensation.

The practice hitherto was to allow only some arbitrarily-fixed ex gratia to these assignees in case of acquisition without right to approach court. On the contrary, the patta-holders of adjacent lands, however, were paid market value and, in addition, solatium and additional market value at certain percentage, all with a provision for going to the court if there was still an aggrieved feeling. The Government, however, changed its thinking on the ground that all lands originally belonged to the Government and the Government, after all, had assigned lands to weaker sections for full enjoyment with benefits, including market value in case of acquisition.

With this, the weaker sections who have been allotted Government lands under different schemes such as housing and `Land Purchase Programme' being implemented have gained entitlement to full benefits--market value, solatium, additional market value and interest.

The new policy envisages land acquisition hereafter only by consent and payment through lok adalats is a must for avoiding litigation.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• MCH submits proposals for ODA funds
• `Cinema a better medium than books '
• Film-maker: Norwegian kids lead comfortable lives
• New land acquisition policy to benefit weaker sections
• Case against son: CI assures cooperation
• Plea to stop use of cell-phone while driving
• 'Move' to allot 'open land' to Cong. MLA opposed

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu