Acquisition of farmland at Patancheru incurs High Court ire

​Hyderabad: “This is nothing but driving farmers towards suicides,” was the anguished admonition of the High Court at Hyderabad on Friday to the Telangana State government during the course of hearing on the appeal filed by the government on the acquisition of farmlands at Patancheru area in Medak district.

The division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B Bhosale and Justice A V Sesha Sai refused the plea of the Telangana State government to allow it to acquire the land from the farmers because they had not paid the old dues to the State.

The State government had challenged the order of a single judge that asked the authorities to collect the dues with interest, but refused to allow the State to dispossess the farmers of their land. The State government was knocking on the doors of the High Court to take possession of the lands of 30 small and marginal farmers because their ancestors had taken loans of Rs 200 each during 1960-61.The government pleader for Revenue told the court that these loans had not been repaid and therefore the State had auctioned those lands.

Since no one came forward to buy, the State itself bought them for Re 1 per acre. Therefore, they were government lands and these farmers need to be evicted. Justice Bhosale reacted sharply to the averments made by the government pleader and said this was nothing but driving farmers towards suicides.

“What is the point in paying Rs 6 lakh to the kin of the deceased farmers after their death while resorting to dispossessions when they were alive,” he questioned. Saying that there was no record with the government to show that these farmers were indebted, he observed that the government may at best ask for repayment of principal amount of Rs 200 along with interest for the last five decades. Senior counsel C V Mohan Reddy appeared for the petitioners.