Farmers, whose tracts have been acquired by the government for the Emaar, Financial District and other projects, seem to have a remote possibility of getting them back. Except for a decision by the state government, the farmers who lost their land have no chance of getting back the lands legally in view of the apex court upholding land acquisition. The only option left for them is to demand fair market value for their lands or an alternative site.
Farmers are now demanding that the government cancel the projects, in view of the CBI observation of gross irregularities, corruption and misuse and return their lands or pay market value. Land acquisition process initiated in 2002 is still incomplete and revenue officials are in the process of finalising them. Meanwhile, some affected farmers had gone to the High Court and the Supreme Court, demanding return of their lands. The farmers questioned the government’s decision to denotify some lands belonging to VIPs (minister Galla Aruna and actor Vijayaniramala and Krishna) while lands of poor farmers were been forcibly acquired in Nanakramguda in Ranga Reddy district.
However, in the case, Suraram Pratap Reddy vs district collector, Ranga Reddy district, the SC upheld land acquisition proceedings. Similarly, a group of farmers — G. Mutyam Reddy and five other residents of Nanakramguda, Serilin-gampally, Ranga Reddy district — moved the AP High Court seeking denotification of their lands in survey No. 25/A, 25/AA, 25/E and 25/EE admeasuring 1 acre 33 guntas from the land acquisition notification dated 10/7/2002 and demanding hand over of the lands or provide alternate lands as per 2016/PM9/(IPU)/APIIC /2002 dated 18/11/2002.
HC judge Justice Samudrala Govindarajulu, in his judgement in April this year, dismissed the petition for denotification of the lands. It cited the SC judgement that upheld the land acquisition proceedings. “After a lapse of a decade of acquisition of lands, the question of now denotifying lands of petitioners at this stage may not arise,” the judge remarked.
The judge said it was open to the petitioners and all other persons whose lands were acquired under the same notification to work out their remedies seeking allotment of the said alternate lands. “I was served a notice by special deputy collector, land acquisition (industries), in June 2009 stating that my 18.5 gunta land, about half an acre, has been acquired by the government for development of industries at Nanakramguda and asked me to submit land documents. The vacant lands should be returned to us,” said Balram Reddy, who was displaced by the proceedings.
The government acquired 175 acres of Lavnipatta land, 400 acre in Manikonda jagir and 84 acre patta land in Nanakramguda for Emaar and other projects. It has offered a compensation ranging from Rs 1.25 lakh per acre to Rs 8 lakh, which was rejected by many farmers.