Emaar victims seek justice

Jun 08, 2012 - C.R. GOWRI SHANKAR |

Hyderabad

Nandigram could well be visiting Hyderabad.

People whose land were acquired for Emaar, Financial District and other projects in the vicinity have now asked the government to redeem open, utilised plots from the project promoters and either return them the land or pay compensation as per the present market value.

According to the “land victims”, the government should cancel the MoU with Emaar properties, like it did with Brahmani Steels, and return them the land.

“There were many plunderers in Emaar Properties. They should be arrested and our land returned,” an irate Mr T. Rajender, who lost 1 acre land for Emaar Golf Course, remarked.

Ms Rama Bai, who has three daughters and a son, and truckloads of concern in the years post-acquisition, said: “We haven’t got a single paisa till date, neither have we got any alternative land. Three acres of our joint family land was forcibly acquired by the government in Nanakramguda in 2002. We were thrown on the streets.

“We are now surviving with the meagre earnings of my son, who is a welder. There’s no money to get my daughters married,”She added.

Ms Sangeetha Bai, whose joint family owned 5 acres in the same place, also had to part with the plot for Emaar project.

“Is the golf course more important than our livelihood? The land was sufficient to feed our entire family. I am now forced to sell vegetables for survival.” But alluding to the arrests in the Emaar case, she added, “Our curse seems to have landed several persons in jail.”

Mr Narayan Singh, another “victim” of land acquisition, said, “The police accuse us of selling gudumba. But how should we survive when the government snatches away our land?”

He alleged that in the guise of advocating their cause, leaders of all main political parties “cheated us”. “They took up our cause, bargained with promoters, and then left us in the lurch,” he alleged.

Those dispossessed of land for the Emaar project are also fuming with what they call government bias towards minister Ms Galla Aruna (5 acres) and actor Vijayanirmala, wife of actor Krishna (11 acres), whose lands have been de-notified. The actor gave the land for development to an MNC.

“They took away 1 to 5 acres from us but spared the minister and the actor. Is that justified?” asked Ms Laxma Reddy, whose family lost 5 acres.

The government acquired 175 acres of Lavnipatta land, 400 acres in Manikonda jagir and 84-acre patta land in Nanakramguda for IT projects, Financial District, Emaar and other projects.

The government offered Rs 1.25 lakh per acre for lavni patta land, Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for patta land in Emaar properties and Financial District. But many dispossessed land owners turned down the offer.

Land oustees of Nanakramguda, Manikonda Jagirand Popalaguda Jagir, now plan to stage demonstration before Emaar project with evicted families, demanding return of their land.

Deccan Chronicle · 11 Jun 2012

C.R. GOWRI SHANKER |

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. After a lapse of a decade of land acquisitions, the question of now denotifying lands at this stage may not arise — Justice Samudrala Govindarajulu HC judge.

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 `1.25 lakh per acre to `8 lakh, which was rejected by many farmers.