Hyderabad: Using a British-era law passed in 1885, transmission companies and the power grid corporations of various states, including TS and AP, and even the Centre, have been violating human rights and land rights of farmers in a brazen manner. Without taking consent, these corporations are laying high-tension lines in the fields while denying the owners compensation.
Farmers say the incident where two farmers were hoisted on a high-tension line near Melavoy in Anantapur district on Sunday, was not an isolated incident: Power lines are laid over lakhs of kilometres. Ranga Reddy district collector M Raghunandan Rao said, “The Indian Telegraphic Act, 1885, has provisions that say no prior consent is needed. A recent Supreme Court judgement said there was no need for consent of the farmers if the project was taken up under the Indian Telegraphic Act. Sections 164 and 168 of the Electricity Act, 2003 also speak about this.”
The Electricity Act, 2003, and the rules framed in 2006, direct transmission companies to get prior consent of the land owner under rule 3(1)(a). This has to be done by way of the corporations sending a notice to the land owner seeking consent and also offering terms of compensation. If the land owner refuses consent, the corporation can approach the collector who is empowered to fix compensation.
Most companies take shelter under the Telegraph Act, which was meant for the smaller telegraph poles that have no electromagnetic radiation. Mr Raghunath Reddy of Chevella, Ranga Reddy district, lost land under the power cable corridor. He waited for compensation in vain and is now taking the help of farmers’ associations. Mr Nakka Veeraswamy, a farmer in Mamidipudi, Mutkur mandal in Nellore district, who is helping a group of farmers, says, “My uncle Nakka Radiah lost 75 cents of land. Other farmers too have lost their land. APGenco says that we are not eligible for compensation as we are Dalits who got occupied lands.”
Farmers who approach the district administration individually get compensation. Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Association founder P. Chengal Reddy, said, “Land has been recognised as a right, apart from the fundamental to right property. The land becomes useless due to electromagnetic radiation, and only for the name’s sake the title deed is in the name of farmers. Banks also don’t give loans to owners of these lands.”
