“Jirayiti“ farmers at Kantakapalli village in Kothavalasa mandal (Andhra Pradesh) whose lands were forcibly acquired in 2006 by the Revenue Department for a glass manufacturing unit are demanding re…
“Jirayiti“ farmers at Kantakapalli village in Kothavalasa mandal (Andhra Pradesh) whose lands were forcibly acquired in 2006 by the Revenue Department for a glass manufacturing unit are demanding restoration of the lands as the company has backtracked on its proposal for unknown reasons. The Revenue Department acquired 147.7 hectares of land and transferred it to Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC). The corporation paid about INR 30 million to the Revenue Department to compensate farmers at the rate of INR 104,000 per acre. While D-patta farmers accepted the compensation, all the 66 “jirayiti“ farmers refused the compensation saying that it was much lower than the market value. The Revenue Department deposited the compensation of INR 18.7 million, including the cost of 5,662 fruit-bearing trees on “jirayiti“ lands, in court. The farmers have not yet collected the amount from the court. The entire stretch of land was developed under the Integrated Wasteland Development Programme in 1995 to augment ground water level and help farmers in the area. After Pilkington North America Inc. decided to set up a glass unit at a cost of INR 6.5 billion the Revenue Department acquired the land. Later, when the company backtracked the APIIC allotted the land at the rate of INR 350,000 to M/s My Home Industries Limited (Maha Cements) in December 2006. APIIC Zonal Manager Eswara Rao told newspaper The Hindu that the land was taken back from Maha Cements as it also failed to set up the unit within one year. The farmers said that at the time of acquisition, one member of each family was promised a job in the company in addition to the financial compensation. Now, all 133 families, including 67 D-patta farmers, have lost their lands and the jobs have failed to materialize. Meanwhile, the court, according to the APIIC Zonal Manager, dismissed the farmers“ plea. He said that the land would be developed into an industrial park. The Telugu Desam party district president Y. Ramana Murty and the CPI (M) leader T. Suryanarayana said that they would support the farmers until the land was restored to them.