Hyderabad: Agriculture holiday-hit to get compensation

Hyderabad: Farmers affected by the ‘agriculture holiday’ ob-served for the Medaram jatara would get compensation from the state government for the first time this year.

Farmers in Medaram and surrounding villages do not plant crops on nearly 3,000 acres during the rabi season once every two years to facilitate arrangements for the jatara.

Officials take possession of these land parcels for three months before the jatara to make arrangements for the festival such as power supply, parking facility, drinking water, toilets and ot-her facilities for pilgrims. 

About 1,500 acres will be utilised to provide parking space and another 1,500 acres to constru-ct temporary toilets and provide other facilities.

Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy said, “This is a long pendi-ng demand from farmers which the government has decided to resolve this year. However, there are various issues invo-lved in this. Only farmers holding pattas (title deeds) or assigned land will be eligible for compensation.”

 It is not possible to give compensation to farmers who are in possession of government land." 

Officials say that not all the land utilised for the jatara are patta lands that deserve compensation. They say farmers are in possession of govermnent land while in some cases nontribals own land in scheduled areas, which is not permissible as per norms.

The collector has been asked to verify the ownership of lands used for the jatara and submit a report on farmers eligible for compensation.