HC tells TS to follow GO 88 for extending R&R benefits

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday directed the state government to strictly follow terms and conditions of GO 88 issued on August 28, 2010,  while extending rehabilitation and resettlement benefits like wages and house pattas to all project-affected families. GO 88 prescribes parameters like extending R&R benefits to daughters, who are majors, on par with sons in families that have been affected.

The court was dealing with a petition filed by 79 women from Thallapally village in Mancherial district, complaining that they were not getting R&R benefits, which was contrary to the GO 88 provisions. Thallapally has been declared as a project-affected zone after its acquisition for converting Srirampur 2 and 2A mines into open cast.

The petitioners said they were residing in the village on the day the land acquisition notification was issued. They argued that as majors they were entitled to get benefits on par with their brothers. However, the counsel for Singareni Collieries and land acquisition department argued that on the day the notification was issued most of the petitioners were living elsewhere after marriage.

The court made it clear that extending the benefits to a daughter should be that she should be a major as on the date of notification under Section 4(1) and should be dependent on the head of the family. After identifying daughters who meet the criterion, authorities should extend benefits to daughters, who are majors, of project displaced families, the court said.