The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Ryots demand restoration of lands

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Friday, Jan 18, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Ryots demand restoration of lands

Correspondent

The land was acquired for a glass-making unit

Glass unit goes back on its proposal for undisclosed reasons
Compensation for ‘jirayiti’ farmers deposited in court

VIZIANAGARAM: ‘Jirayiti’ farmers whose lands the Revenue Department had acquired against their consent in 2006 at Kantakapalli village in Kothavalasa mandal for a glass manufacturing unit have now been demanding restoration of their lands as the company backtracked on its proposal for unknown reasons.

The Revenue Department had acquired 365.08 acres of land and transferred it to Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).

The corporation paid about Rs. 3 crores to the Revenue Department for payment of compensation to farmers at the rate of Rs. 1.04 lakhs per acre. While D-patta farmers accepted the compensation, all the 66 ‘jirayiti’ farmers refused the compensation amount saying that it was very less compared to prevailing market rate.

The Revenue Department deposited the compensation amount of Rs. 1.87 crores, including the cost of 5,662 fruit-bearing trees on ‘jirayiti’ lands, in court.

The farmers have not yet collected the amount from the court.

The entire stretch of land was developed under Integrated Wasteland Development programme in 1995 to augment ground water level and help farmers in the area. After Pilkington North America Inc. decided to establish a glass unit at a cost of Rs. 650 crores the Revenue Department acquired the land.

Later, when the company backtracked the APIIC allotted the land at the rate of Rs. 3.50 lakhs to M/s My Home Industries Limited (Maha Cements) in December 2006. Zonal Manager of APIIC Eswara Rao told The Hindu that the land was taken back from Maha Cements also as it failed to establish the unit within one year.

The farmers said that at the time of acquiring land a member in each family was promised a job in the company in addition to the compensation amount of Rs. 1.04 per acre. Now, all the 133 families, including 67 D-patta farmers, have lost their lands and there is no hope for a job. Meanwhile, the court, according to the APIIC Zonal Manager dismissed the writ plea of farmers. He said that the land would be developed into an industrial park for use in future.

The Telugu Desam party district president Y. Ramana Murty and the CPI (M) leader T. Suryanarayana said that they would support farmers till their land were restored to them.

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