“The Aam Aadmi Party supports the farmers’ protest for losing lands because of Mallannasagar Project, National Industries and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) and other projects undertaken by the State Government by displacing thousands of farmers from their livelihood”, AAP TS Convenor R. Venkat Reddy and AAP TS spokesperson Prof. P.L. Vishweshwar Rao have said.
The Aam Aadmi leaders have demanded that the government cancel GO No. 123 and implement Land Acquisition Act of 2013 for acquiring lands for all projects in the Telangana State. They said the party was totally against the government proposal to acquire vast tracts of agricultural lands for irrigation and industrial projects. The party is also against redesigning of irrigation projects by the State Government and planning to acquire 22,000 acres of agricultural land for Mallannasagar Reservoir coming up in Medak district.
The Party is also against the State Government plan to acquire another 15,000 Acres for Kondapochamma Reservoir to be built near the Chief Minister’s Assembly constituency, Gajwel. Medak District will lose over 25,000 Acres of fertile agricultural land for National Industries and Manufacturing Zone that will take away 31 villages in Zaheerabad. The Party condemns the State Government’s proposal of taking one lakh acres of rich agricultural land which is being earmarked for various projects, including two reservoirs and NIMZ. The State Government has not even thought of compensating the farmers, while such an unprecedented move to acquire one lakh acres was highly questionable. With these projects coming up in 17 villages in two mandals are going to be submerged in the Mallannasagar reservoir.
The party has demanded rehabilitation and resettlement of people of these villages under the Land Acquisition Act 2013. According to the GO Ms No. 123 issued by the State government, the farmers who are losing land will get Rs 5.80 lakh as compensation. However, as per the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, the Government has to pay four times of the Market value of the land and also provide rehabilitation and resettlement. The Aam Aadmi Party also questions the rationale of constructing such a huge reservoir of storage capacity of 50 TMC Ft of water which requires over 22,000 Acres of land. The construction of such huge reservoirs will not serve any purpose when Government is grabbing away such huge agricultural land from the farmers. (NSS)