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HC directs Collector to consider farmers pleas
In the backdrop of raging controversy over the the State government taking the route of G.O. MS No. 123 to acquire land for its projects, the High Court at Hyderabad on Wednesday questioned why it was resorting to coercion in obtaining the consent of farmers under this government order (G.O).
​Hyderabad: In the backdrop of raging controversy over the the State government taking the route of G.O. MS No. 123 to acquire land for its projects, the High Court at Hyderabad on Wednesday questioned why it was resorting to coercion in obtaining the consent of farmers under this government order (G.O).
Justice A Rajashekar Reddy raised this question while dealing with a petition by B Swamy Rao and 23 other farmers from Karukonda village under Bijinapally mandal in Mahbubnagar district.
They contended that they were coerced into signing on consent agreement forms by the Revenue authorities for giving away their lands for Vattem reservoir under Palamur-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation project. They sought protection from the authorities and sought an order by the High Court to help them continue with the possession of their lands as they were not willing to sell them under G.O. MS No. 123.
When the Government Pleader for Land Acquisition contested the charge of coercion, the judge responded by questioning if that was the case then why was the government taking signatures of the farmers on blank notarised affidavits. He also asked the Government Pleader if the farmers were not coerced why they would come before this court. The farmers had annexed these blank forms to their petition as proof.
Advocates Rachna and N S Arjun Kumar, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, submitted to the court that the unwilling farmers were even today being pressurised to give away their lands and sought protection of
the court.
The judge, while disposing of the petition, directed the District Collector of Mahbubnagar to consider the representation of farmers submitted to District Level Land Procurement Committee before taking any further action. The farmers in their representation had sought Rs 25 lakh compensation per acre under G.O. MS No. 123 citing that the market rate of their lands was around Rs 8 to 10 lakh per acre.
They also said the companies which got the contracts for the works were buying land from farmers at these rates. If the government was unwilling to pay these amounts, it must invoke Land Acquisition Act 2013 to acquire their lands, stated the farmers in their representation.
