The Hindu : Front Page : YSR for better compensation package

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 14, 2006

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YSR for better compensation package

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister says that there should be no "heartburn" among small farmers

CLEAR WARNING: This board was put up by some members of the Scheduled Castes and Madiga community in a plot in Kokapet, Ranga Reddy district, after HUDA auctioned it recently. -Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy has directed officials to work out a better compensation package for people whose lands were being acquired in and around the city, saying that there should not be any "heartburn" among small farmers and others who are losing their land.

The Government has decided to set up a Cabinet Sub-Committee to propose the modalities after Dr. Reddy reviewed the land acquisition and compensation issues with Chief Secretary J.Harinarayan and other senior officials here on Sunday. He wanted the land acquisition process to be transparent and a role model for other States.

Measure of equity

According to an official release, the Government has noted that land prices had increased abnormally in the vicinity of Hyderabad. As a measure of equity, it was examining the possibility of allotment of developed sites to farmers/individuals whose land would be acquired in addition to the compensation.

"Due regard will be paid to the balance land left with the owner, the extent of land acquired and other relevant factors while finalising the modalities," the release said.

Asserting that lands for various social and public purposes would necessarily have to be acquired, the Chief Minister said that in the proposed Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority area several important projects would be coming up. This would pave the way for rapid economic development of the State and the well-being of the people.

He felt that economic development could not be achieved without acquiring land. But at the same time, the poor and middle classes should not be put to loss in the name of development.

Earlier, Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) Chairman D. Sudhir Reddy indicated at a meeting organised by a private TV channel that the Government would come up with a policy soon on land acquisition around the city for various projects in a couple of days. The meeting, organised to discuss the land acquisition process, saw strident criticism by non-Congress parties that the Government had messed up the exercise.

Leaders of non-Congress parties and some affected persons rapped the Government for selling its land at exorbitant rates and purchasing land from poor farmers at throwaway prices. Government Chief Whip N. Kiran Kumar Reddy defended the decision to sell land as the Government received the mandate of the Assembly in this year's budget presentation. Referring to the problems of oustees, he said early settlement without any delay would solve their problems.

Parties' suggestions

B.V. Raghavulu, State secretary of CPI (M), sought internationally recognised value and not market or registration value of lands for displaced persons. T. Devender Goud (TDP) said the oustees could not afford to buy even ten per cent of the size of their original holdings with the compensation paid to them due to jacking up of land prices.

K. Narayana, State secretary of the CPI, said monetary compensation was no answer to land acquisition. The affected persons should get land for land.

G. Kishan Reddy of the BJP demanded preservation of open tracts of land for future generations. N. Narasimha Reddy of the TRS said former naxalites and faction leaders were involved in land settlements in the city. N. Jayaprakash Narayan, convenor of Lok Satta, said an artificial scarcity of land was created though it was available in plenty.

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