KAKINADA: The Polavaram Project cost may be escalated while the completion of the project may be delayed as the government has given assurance to displaced persons that New Land Acquisition Act would be applied for them.
The new law would be applicable to all the displaced persons including those to whom compensation has already been given. They are also demanding the government to implement new law to them also.
The state government had escalated the project Cost to Rs 36,000 crores seven months back. Now, the cost may be further increased as Chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the compensation would be given to the Polavaram Project displaced persons in accordance with new law.
The Tribal Groups and Organisations said that the government should apply the new law to persons who have already taken the compensation. According to the Supreme Court, award if compensation in respect of a majority of land holdings has not been deposited in the account of the beneficiaries then all the beneficiaries specified in Section 4 notification become entitled to compensation under New Land Acquisition Act 2013.
“According to this verdict and also the New Law, unless 50 per cent of the project displaced persons take the compensation, the already taken displaced persons would be also entitled to get compensation again under the new law, said Dalit Bahujana Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham (DBVKS) state secretary Inapurapu Suryanarayana. He said that all the old notifications regarding Polavaram Project have to be abolished and new notifications issued afresh for the project.
Otherwise, it can get entangled in court litigations. Polavaram Nirvasitha Mahila Sankshema Sangham President Valla Venkata Lakshmi said that Section 24 of the New Land Acquisition Act provides that in case where land was acquired five years or more prior to the commencement of the new Act but no compensation has been paid or no possession of the land has taken place, the displaced persons should be entitled to get the compensation.
