SANGAREDDY: The fighting spirit displayed by the Vemulaghat villagers against the government opposing acquisition of their lands for the Mallanna Sagar irrigation project is serving as an example to other villages.
Officials have acquired about 8,000 acres of land for the project and are due to acquire 2,000 acres more, nearly 700 acres of which at Vemulaghat in Thoguta mandal. This land of 700 acres belongs to about 500 people and they went to court demanding compensation as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and not as per the proposed GO No.123. The court directed the government to acquire lands in accordance with the law. The government was thus forced to issue a notification for acquisition of 700 acres of land in Vemulaghat village under Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
This has given new hope to and emboldened the people of other villages who began building pressure on the government and demanding better compensation for their lands which they had already registered in favour of the government. The farmers of some villages near Siddipet received ` 12 lakh per acre in compensation from the government. Following the government’s announcement that Siddipet would be made a district, these farmers are now demanding ` 20 to 25 lakh per acre. They argue that the open market value of their lands is now ranging between `30 lakh and ` 40 lakh an acre and want at least `20 to 25 lakh in compensation now. Officials are having a tough time convincing the farmers in order to complete the acquisition quickly. Some farmers of Lingareddypally agreed to register their lands for a consideration of ` 12 lakh per acre but are now refusing to do so.