Gudatipally farmers demand fair compensation

Say ready to part with land only if they get ₹15 lakh per acre

Farmers of Gudatipally in Akkannapet mandal of Husnabad revenue division were not ready to part with their land for Gouravelli reservoir if they do not get a proper compensation. They made this clear in a meeting held by Collector P. Venkatarami Reddy and attended by MLA V. Sathish Kumar. “Pay us the right compensation and only then acquire land from us,” was what the farmers told the officials in the three-hour long meeting held at Siddipet Collectorate on Friday evening.

The government has taken up redesigning of irrigation projects in the State in 2015 after the formation of Telangana State. As part of that, the capacity of 1.41 tmc ft project was redesigned and enhanced to 8.23 tmc ft. The government has acquired 2,200 acres in 2009 followed by 1967.18 acres in second phase and another 272 acres in the present phase.

The oustees have been demanding that they should be paid a compensation of ₹15 lakh per acre and for structures and trees to be removed. They recalled how the oustees of Vemulaghat under Mallannasagar were compensated to the tune of ₹11 lakh in December 2018 and now, “after three years the amount should considerably be increased”.