VIJAYAWADA: A public interest litigation was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court challenging the rule that the State government has to pay the annuity to the farmers of Amaravati, who gave their lands for the State capital.
The president of SC, ST, BC United Front North Andhra districts, Paka Satyanarayana, in his PIL urged the Court to order the cancellation of GO 286 issued on May 5, 2023, allocating Rs 286 crore.
On Wednesday, the petition came up for hearing before the division bench of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice R Raghunandan Rao. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate VR Reddy Kovuri said AP Capital City Land Pooling Scheme (Formulation and Implementation) Rules, 2015 and AP Land Development Rules, 2017 were not tabled in the Legislative Assembly and did not have its acceptance, but were implemented by the then government.
“Though these rules were formulated to protect the interests of the farmers of Amaravati, they are invalid as they have no legal sanctity,” he argued and said that in AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014, there is no provision for an annuity to the farmers, hence State has no responsibility for paying the annuity to the farmers. He also pointed out that the previous government failed to allocate 5 per cent of land for the poor.
“Without implementing the provisions of the Act, the Capital Region was decided. A gazette notification was issued in this regard,” he maintained.
Interfering at that time, the division bench pointed out that the State government which brought a new Act repealing the CRDA Act, was specific on the protection of the farmers’ interest.
Later, that Act was withdrawn by the Legislative Assembly, the petitioner’s counsel explained. The court asked him how the withdrawal of the Act impacts the CRDA Act and Rules and adjourned the case hearing to two weeks.
‘No provision for annuity to farmers in CRDA Act’
Petitioner’s counsel VR Reddy Kovuri said that in the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014, there is no provision for annuity to farmers, hence, the State has no responsibility for paying it to the farmers. He also pointed out that the previous government failed to allocate 5 per cent of land for the poor