The Telangana government suffered another setback on Wednesday when the High Court struck down the Government Order 123 on land acquisition even as the government was to recover from a similar step on appointment of Vice-Chancellors to universities and EAMCET question paper leakage.
Nevertheless, the government has put up a brave front as it gears up to challenge the High Court verdict before a Division Bench of the court. Sources said the government was confident that the GO would be retained as a Division Bench had earlier upheld it twice in some other cases of land acquisition. The government was firm on carrying out land acquisition for Mallannasagar project overcoming legal hurdles and an agitation in eight villages of Gajwel constituency since mid-May. The stir had received the support of all the Opposition parties and had led to lathi-charge by police on a couple of occasions. A farmer also committed suicide ‘fearing’ losing his land for a less price.
The core issue of the agitation was that the government had not notified the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, though it claimed that farmers were free to give up land either under the Act or the GO. On the other hand, the government tried to win over the farmers citing how compensation payout under GO was better than the Act as it would fetch them up to Rs. 6 lakh an acre against less than Rs. 2 lakh an acre under the Act. However, the farmers stuck to the stand that the payment had to be in excess of Rs. 2 lakh, if the market value of the land was revised as mandated by the Act. Only then the notification for land acquisition should be issued which was not done. But the government took consent letters from farmers and completed the formalities as per the GO.
The government claimed that it would give ten times the market value which would fetch farmers Rs. 5.85 lakh an acre, considering the registration value of Rs. 60,000 as the market value. However, the farmers maintained that the market value in real terms was Rs. 8 to 10. lakh an acre.
The government would also give the land oustees double bedroom houses which were also worth Rs. 5.85 lakh. There was no mention of alternative land, monthly pension, one-time settlement and other benefits under the Act.
