HYDERABAD. The Government has decided to come out with a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package for people affected by the Outer Ring Road project in Hyderabad to stem the mounting criticism from the opposition parties and displaced families.

It is exploring several options including payment of compensation in addition to allotting suitable land and share part of the developed land with the affected people to make them "partners in development," Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, announced in the Assembly on Thursday while replying to a two-day debate on the alleged irregularities in ORR project before it was adjourned sine die.

Useful debate

Unlike the previous ten days, there was a qualitative difference in the proceedings on the last day. The debate came as a breather after Wednesday's acrimony. The Opposition as well as the Treasury benches got down to some serious business raising the level of the discussion.

The Opposition avoided provoking ruling party members while the Treasury benches displayed similar temper in disproving allegations against the ORR on technical, financial and environmental aspects. Every room in the Assembly premises, where the close circuit TVs were relaying the proceedings, was packed.

Dr. Reddy admitted that while several people whose lands lay adjacent to the ORR stood to benefit, there was bound to be "heartburn" for those who had lost their lands. "But the Government is exploring all possibilities to make the land-losers partners in the development," he said.

The Chief Minister refused to concede the Opposition's demand for compensation on land-to-land basis. This was impractical and would lead to eviction of more people from their places to accommodate those affected.

Cases disposed of

He said the High Court had disposed of 22 out of the 61 petitions filed supporting the Government's stand. "The Division Bench says there is no apparent proof that makes the realignment irrational and that the refined appreciation might have been to meet the requirements," he said. He, however, made it a point to congratulate the Opposition for presenting their point with clarity and appreciated Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao for effectively countering it. "The Opposition has done well. We have done very well in proving our sincerity and honesty."

The Revenue Minister said the Government had decided to give 200 sq.yds each to the people affected in Kokapet and given the present escalated cost of the land, the compensation would work out to Rs. 60 lakhs each.

Refuting the charge that lands belonging to influential people were exempted from the exemption, he reeled out names of some rich and powerful persons whose lands had been taken over. The Government was considering making Cabinet approval mandatory for addition and deletion of names in future.

Turning down the demand of opposition leader N. Chandrababu Naidu for constituting a committee of floor leaders to monitor and protect evacuee lands, he said the Government would leave no stone unturned to see that its properties were protected.

Mr. Naidu said the de-notification of 300-acres under "prohibitory book" was raising apprehensions that the Congress leaders were trying to usurp the lands. The lands, in addition to the 200-acre evacuee properties at Puppalguda, were together valued at Rs. 7,500 crores and there was every need to protect them. "Public representatives and those in the Government were deeply involved in this," he said. Citing the orders issued by the Municipal Administration Department in the last couple of years, he said the TDP had documentary evidence to support its claim and it was prepared for any challenge in this regard. On the ORR lands, he said contrary to the Government's claims, there was clear involvement of Congress leaders and some "big people" for whose sake the alignment was changed several times.

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