REST ASSURED? Chief Minister Y. S Rajasekhara Reddy greets villagers whose land was acquired for Outer Ring Road project in Hyderabad on Monday. PHOTO: SATISH H.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy promised the farmers who would lose lands under Outer Ring Road Project that the Government would come to their rescue and find a solution to improve their standard of living.

Addressing farmers of Pedda Amberpet and other villages of Hayathnagar mandal who sought `land for land' at his residence on Monday, the Chief Minister said a Cabinet sub-committee was looking into the compensation issue and guidelines would be issued in three or four weeks. Till then no land would be acquired, he said.

Empathising with the plight of farmers losing their entire land for the project, Dr. Reddy said his Government was determined to give fair compensation at Rs. 10 to Rs. 11 lakhs per acre besides 10 per cent of area in an acre, i.e. 500 square yards house site in developed land acquired from them.

"While farmers could buy new farm lands at cheaper price elsewhere with the compensation amount, the house sites they would get closer to ORR will yield them rich dividends," he explained.

ORR spin-off

He said since land prices were increasing every month, no amount of compensation would satisfy farmers because they would feel they would get at least Rs. one crore per acre.

"But you have to bear in mind that the price rise is due to ORR," he added.

The Chief Minister said ORR was necessary to ease traffic congestion in and around the city. Same was the case with land acquisition for irrigation projects. "But we will do our best to ensure a fair deal to those losing land," he reiterated.

The Chief Minister said no new lands were being acquired to spare the lands of Leo Meridian and other clubs in Shamirpet.

The farmers however, reiterated their demand for allotment of Government land for the land acquired.

CPI National Secretary and MP Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, State Secretary K.Narayana and MLA and CPI floor leader Chada Venkata Reddy spoke.

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