HYDERABAD: A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the State Government to deposit the entire money payable to farmers, who lost their lands due to land acquisition for Velugodu reservoir in Kurnool district, in the Magistrate court Kurnool, within a week.

The Bench was dealing with a writ petition filed by the Velugodu Submerged Farmers Sufferers Association. The petitioners complained that their lands were taken 27 years ago and the compensation has not yet reached them though awards were passed and petitions are being filed.

Taking a serious note of the situation, the Bench gave a series of directions.

It directed that an officer not below the rank of MRO should be deputed to check the claims and indentities. It wanted wide publicity to be given regarding the Lok Adalat to be held as soon as the verification was done and the District Judge to disburse the amounts to the oustees in the Lok Adalat. The court made it clear that there should be no interference by anyone nor any middlemen. Nationalised banks are to be approached for opening bank accounts and for disbursing amounts.

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