The prolonged fight by the oustess of Gouravelli reservoir on Akkannapet mandal of Siddipet district has been finally yielding results. The officials are in the process of acquiring required land for the oustees of four tandas under the reservoir getting submeged to provide accommodation to them.
The Telangana Government, after formation of separate state, has redesigned the irrigation projects and as part of that the Gouravelli reservoir was also redesigned.
The Gouravelli project was designed with 1.4 tmcft during the first tenure of late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekara Reddy and land acquisition was commenced as early as in 2008. Facing several glitches, the construction of the reservoir was not completed and Rajasehkara Reddy died in an accident and the entire focus of the government had shifted. The officials had acquired 1923.12 acres of land for the construction of the project in the first phase.
The project capacity was enhanced after formation of Telangana State as part or redesigning the irrigation projects and it was increased to 8.2 tmcft. The government was forced to acquire as much as 1,993.87 acres additionally to meet the requirement of redesigning.
Though some of the farmers approached the court seeking compensation under Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act – 2013 (LA Act – 2013), few of them accepted for consent agreement and sold their land to the government for Rs. 15 lakh per acre.
The officials are trying to buy back lands assigned in the past to some farmers by offering them considerable amount.
“As 187 families belonging to four tandas have been losing their houses in the new land acquisition, the government has decided to offer double bedroom houses to all of them at Ramavaram in Akkannapet mandal, about two kilometre radius from their present tandas. Though they were not interested in getting accommodation and instead wanting total amount in one go so that they can invest at other place, we preferred houses for them to avoid any future complications. This will address any legal issues on providing Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) for ever,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
