HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday expressed his ire at officials for not disbursing the compensation amount of `813 crore released by the government to farmers who lost their lands to various irrigation projects.
During a virtual meeting he had with the district collectors to review the land acquisition process and distribution of compensation, the minister directed district collectors and irrigation officials to ensure that funds already released for land acquisition and Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) reach the affected farmers at the earliest, warning that money should not remain parked in government accounts.
The officials informed the meeting that since April 1, tokens worth about `3,101 crore had been submitted and around `2,504 crore released towards land acquisition and R&R package. Of the amount currently pending at the district level, about `502 crore was with Land Acquisition Officers and another `311 crore with the district collectors, they said.
Uttam asked the district collectors to personally intervene and speed up negotiations to facilitate awards and payments.
“If money has been released, it must reach the farmers. If it cannot be disbursed for any genuine reasons, explain the reason and return the money instead of keeping it idle,” he told the officials.