Finding fault with the State government for acquiring lands to set up educational institutions in Tirupati, the CPI(M) has demanded that the new Land Acquisition Act (2013) be implemented for the purpose, instead of the GO 1307, which is force at present.
On sidelines of a meeting here Friday, party district secretary (Chittoor) K. Kumar Reddy alleged that the government was planning to acquire land from the poor and economically backward sections. “To some extent, the Land Acquisition Act (2013) is beneficial to the stakeholders (especially farmers), as it considers settlement land, assignment land and others as equal while finalising the compensation. If land acquisition is inevitable, same land acquired should be developed to ensure food security,” he added.
Elucidating the provisions in the Act, Mr. Reddy said that the stipulated regulations would provide four times more compensation than the market value and offer Rs.3,000 and Rs.2,000 per month to farmers and agricultural workers respectively, until the project commences. “We welcome the move to set up IIT and IISER in Tirupati. We just want forest and government land be used for the purpose, instead of the DKT land,” he asserted.
Highlighting the plight of villagers residing in the areas where the institutions would come up, CPI (M) activists alleged that officials were put to use the legislations from British era- 1894 Act (GO 1307) for acquiring land and finalising compensation, negating the GO 1142 (released on 18/06/1954). They further vowed to take up protests, if the government failed in upholding the rights of farmers and backward communities.
We welcome the move to set up IIT and IISER in Tirupati. We want forest and govt. land be used for the purpose, instead of DKT land
K. Kumar Reddy,CPI (M) district secretary
