Ayyannagari Yada Goud owns six acres in the village of which some two acres will get submerged in the proposed canals of the Kaleswaram project that is expected to pass through the village.
He is one of the farmers who was convinced by the officials to part with his land for the proposed project. “In 2016 when we were still a part of old Medak district the officials offered ₹7.5 lakh per acre for patta land and ₹5.5 lakh per acre of assigned land,” Mr. Yada Goud told The Hindu . “We decided to hand over the land only after the officials promised to hand over the cheques within a month. Based on the promise I paid an advance of ₹4 lakh advance for a residential plot with the condition that I should pay the balance amount within a month,” he said. “To my misfortune the officials did not honour their word and I have not only lost the plot but also the advance amount I had paid,” the farmer lamented.
It has been a double whammy for the farmers who have handed over the lands. On the one hand they are yet to receive the compensation and on the other the officials have directed them not to sow crops in the land which was already ‘acquired by the government’. Mr. Yada Goud has left his land fallow despite having a bore that can irrigate his farm. “The officials are forcing us to destroy the crop and we felt that it was unnecessary investment,” he explained.
Similar is the case of Ayyannagari Kishan Goud. He has lost about two acres of land. He performed the marriage of one of his daughters Revathi on 8th March 2017 and took loans to the tune of ₹ 5 lakh from private lenders at an interest of ₹ 3 per ₹ 100 per month. He has scheduled the marriage his another daughter Rohini on May 10th next month. “No one is willing to advance a loan to me. What can I do and whom do I approach?” asks Mr. Kishan Goud.
The proposed canal has given wings to the land rates in the nearby villages. It has sky rocketed from ₹ 8 lakh to ₹ 15 lakh and ₹ 20 lakh per acre. On Narsapur-Medak road the land rate is reported to be about ₹ 40 lakh per acre. Many farmers are not ready to sell their lands as they are set to get an assured cource of irrigation once canals are completed.
“We took the consent from the farmers to sell their lands in November 2017 and a proposal to the tune of ₹ 30 crore has already forwarded to the Collector. Cheques will be released once the amount is released,” said Narsapur Revenue Divisional Officer B. Venkateswarlu told The Hindu .
