HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has directed the authorities concerned not to dispossess the oustees of the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, residing in Bandaravipakua village of Wanaparthy district, until full Rehabilitation and Resettlement entitlements are provided to them.
The court was hearing a writ petition filed by B Siva Kumar and 79 others, seeking a direction to the authorities to provide full R&R benefits to them. All the petitioners are over 18 years of age and the sons and daughters of farmers whose lands and houses have been acquired for the construction of Veeranjaneya Balancing Reservoir under the PRLIS.
The petitioners’ counsel NS Arjun Kumar contended that as per the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, they are to be treated as a separate family and must be deemed entitled to all the R&R benefits offered to the oustees. “The authorities were providing only partial R&R entitlements to them on the grounds that they are not married, which is untenable as per law,” he said.