Nandigram could well be visiting Hyderabad. People whose land were acquired for Emaar, Financial District and other projects in the vicinity have now asked the government to redeem open, utilised plots from the project promoters and either return them the land or pay compensation as per the present market value. According to the “land victims”, the government should cancel the MoU with Emaar properties, like it did with Brahmani Steels, and return them the land.
“There were many plunderers in Emaar Properties. They should be arrested and our land returned,” an irate Mr T. Rajender, who lost 1 acre land for Emaar Golf Course, remarked. Ms Rama Bai, who has three daughters and a son, and truckloads of concern in the years post-acquisition, said: “We haven’t got a single paisa till date, neither have we got any alternative land. Three acres of our joint family land was forcibly acquired by the government in Nanakramguda in 2002. We were thrown on the streets. “We are now surviving with the meagre earnings of my son, who is a welder. There’s no money to get my daughters married.”
Ms Sangeetha Bai, whose joint family owned 5 acres in the same place, also had to part with the plot for Emaar project. “Is the golf course more important than our livelihood? The land was sufficient to feed our entire family. I am now forced to sell vegetables for survival.” But alluding to the arrests in the Emaar case, she added, “Our curse seems to have landed several persons in jail.” Mr Narayan Singh, another “victim” of land acquisition, said, “The police accuse us of selling gudumba. But how should we survive when the government snatches away our land?”
He alleged that in the guise of advocating their cause, leaders of all main political parties “cheated us”. “They took up our cause, bargained with promoters, and then left us in the lurch,” he alleged.
Those dispossessed of land for the Emaar project are also fuming with what they call government bias towards minister Ms Galla Aruna (5 acres) and actor Vijayanirmala, wife of actor Krishna (11 acres), whose lands have been de-notified. The actor gave the land for development to an MNC.
“They took away 1 to 5 acres from us but spared the minister and the actor. Is that justified?” asked Ms Laxma Reddy, whose family lost 5 acres. The government acquired 175 acres of Lavnipatta land, 400 acres in Manikonda jagir and 84-acre patta land in Nanakramguda for IT projects, Financial District, Emaar and other projects.
The government offered Rs 1.25 lakh per acre for lavni patta land, Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for patta land in Emaar properties and Financial District. But many dispossessed land owners turned down the offer. Land oustees of Nanakramguda, Manikonda Jagirand Popalaguda Jagir, now plan to stage demonstration before Emaar project with evicted families, demanding return of their land.