The Vemulaghat villagers boycotted the award inquiry held by the district administration alleging that due process was not followed in the implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act - 2013 (LA Act -2013). The villagers had boycotted the public hearing on December 27 for the same reason. They also submitted a memorandum to Revenue Divisional Officer A. Muthyam Reddy alleging that the administration had failed to provide the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the proposed Mallannasagar Reservoir.
Vemulaghat is one of the five revenue villages that would be submerged in the Mallannasagar and the residents are demanding implementation of LA Act -2013. While all the villages surrendered and sold their lands to the Government for the construction of reservoir under G.O. 123, the residents of Vemulaghat stuck to their guns.
Under the directions of the High Court, the administration was compelled to hold Grama Sabha in the village on October 21. Though it was mandatory under the Act to take the signatures of all those who attended the Grama Sabha, and take their consent and supply the copies of minutes the administration had failed to do so.
“The Government, which forms the rules, has been violating them blatantly. What we are asking is only to follow due procedure step wise in implementing the LA Act -2013,”. they said.
