VISAKHAPATNAM: The State government has decided to increase the compensation for land being acquired for Google Data Center at Tarluvada in Anandapuram mandal of Visakhapatnam district. Bheemili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao said such an enhancement during the land acquisition process has not been done earlier.
Ganta said following farmers’ request seeking more compensation, he took the matter to the notice of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who approved an increase of Rs 2.55 lakh per acre. The present market value of land at Tarluvada is Rs 17 lakh per acre.
The government has now fixed compensation at two-and-a-half times the market value. With the enhancement, D-patta farmers will receive an additional Rs 6.37 lakh per acre, the MLA explained.
He said land-losing farmers would be provided with outsourcing jobs, a shopping complex with shops allotted to them, besides 3 cents of residential land for housing.
Ganta warns against misleading ryots
During the meeting, Ganta also addressed concerns over reports that a case had been filed in court using farmers’ names without their knowledge. Farmers clarified that they were not involved in the petition.
They expressed shock that the name of a deceased farmer had also been included. They alleged that an individual, said to have acted as a benami for influential persons during the previous YSRCP regime, had been misleading them in recent days.
Taking serious note of the matter, the MLA directed officials to register a police case, and initiate action. He questioned how a vakalatnama (power of attorney) could be filed on behalf of a deceased person, and called for a thorough inquiry.
Ganta emphasised that the Google Data Center project is significant for Visakhapatnam’s IT sector, and should not be derailed. Strict action would be taken against those creating hurdles to the project, and misleading farmers, he said.
RDO Sangeet Madhur, MRO Srinubabu, Tarluvada sarpanch BRB Naidu, and farmers from the village were present.