SIDDIPET: Facing stiff opposition from a few villagers to the acquisition of lands for Mallannasagar project, including a public interest litigation in the High Court, the State Government appears to have decided in favour of following due procedure.
According to sources in the Revenue Department, the Government proposes to get the concurrence of the oustees to the land acquisition at gram sabhas.
“So many issues like social impact assessment, environmental impact assessment and food security assesment need to be conducted in these villages in addition to holding grama sabhas to elicit public opinion,” said a revenue official on condition of anonymity.
The State Government proposed construction of Mallannasagar Reservoir in the native district of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao as part of larger Kaleswaram project. The project would spread across eight villages — Etigadda Kishtapur, Toguta, Tukkapur, Vemulaghat and Pallepahad in Toguta mandal and Kondapaka, Singaram and Erravalli of Kondapaka mandal.
Though a majority of land oustees from these villages came forward to ‘voluntarily sell’ their land to the Government for the construction of the project some farmers from Erravalli and Vemulaghat approached the High Court seeking implementation of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013. The High Court directed the government to acquire land under the 2013 Act instead of the GO. 123 issued by the State Government.
Heeding to the court directives, the authorities issued a notification under LA Act 2013 but the notification was issued under Section 40, which permits the Government to take over land in cases of urgency or matters of defence of the nation or national security.
At a recent hearing of the PIL the High Court directed the Government to clarify how it could acquire the land for Mallannasagar Project under Section 40.
Following the court strictures the Government appears to have decided to conduct gram sabhas in the villages that would be affected by the project. Gram sabhas would have to be held in many project areas across the State as it was a PIL, Revenue officials clarified.
