HYDERABAD: Another petition was filed in the Hyderabad High Court praying for declaration of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (AP CRDA) Act, 2014 as illegal and unconstitutional.
Petitioners K Chalapathi Rao and six other agriculturists from Guntur district and the National Alliance of People’s Movements, represented by B Ramakrishnam Raju of the city, submitted that the CRDA Act is a state enactment which is repugnant to the Central Act relating to land acquistiion. The lands of the petitioners can be acquired only in accordance with the Central Act i.e. “Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Re-settlement Act, 2013”, the petitioners contended.
They alleged that the state government authorities are making hectic efforts in acquiring thousands of acres, including the petitioners’ land. The owners of the said lands are being barred from conducting agricultural activities from April 1 onwards.
The petitioners requested the Court to direct the respondent authorities to exclude the villages on either side of river Krishna to a depth of two km from the land pooling scheme and acquisition and not to interfere with the cultivation, possession and enjoyment of their lands and the lands falling within the AP CRDA region. They sought the Court to declare the said scheme evolved by the CRDA Act along with the related notification as illegal.
Principal secretary to the municipal administration and urban development of the AP government, CRDA commissioner and the district collectors of Krishna and Guntur were named as the respondents.
Annuity to AP Capital Farmers
The Andhra Pradesh government has issued orders for paying the annuity for all the farmers of the capital region who have entered into Development Agreement with Capital Region Development Authority(CRDA) on May 1 of every year for 10-years period. According to a GO issued here on Tuesday, this order would applicable for only those farmers who enter into Development Agreement with CRDA before May 1, 2015. The order was issued on the request of CRDA commissioner, urging the government to notify the date for payment of annuities announced as part of the package of benefits provided to the land owners who have surrendered their lands for the construction of new capital, the GO said. Andhra Pradesh has acquired 33,000 acres of land from farmers of over 26 villages to build the core capital.