The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Leave us alone, say villagers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 21, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Leave us alone, say villagers

Staff Reporter

Mounting clamour for changing the alignment

HYDERABAD: The realignment of Outer Ring Road (ORR) has spelt doom for villagers of Imamguda and Srinagar under Maheswaram mandal.

"We came to Imamguda 40 years ago from the neighbouring Srinagar village when it was flooded by a tank. Where will we go now?" questions Bussu Veeramani. "We do not want any compensation. Our lands are our livelihood. How can the Government take away our lands to benefit the rich? We will give up our lives if our villages are not spared," vows Punyavathi.

`Bigwigs spared'

"The alignment has been changed four times. Our villages were not affected in the initial alignment. While hundreds of acres of land belonging to political leaders just 200 metres away have not been touched. Poor farmers like me, with half to three acres holding, have been put on notice," says B. Balaraju.

The villagers, who have been witnessing rising land prices in their vicinity, are not satisfied with what they called nominal compensation proposed by the Government. Some others who have struck deals to sell their land for attractive price are not allowed to dispose of the property now as the lands have been notified.

By shifting the junction away by 200 metres, the villages with long history will not lose anything, says Ranga Reddy district BJP president S. Malla Reddy.

In the case of farmers who stand to lose their entire land, alternative land should be provided. For others, compensation should be given as per the market rate, he says.

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