Nellore: Unreasonable demands by land owners as compensation for patta lands is adversely impacting the land acquisition process and by extension the progress of projects like the mega industrial hub close to the proposed Ramayapatnam Port near Kavali and a software park closer to Tamil Nadu border in Tada mandal.
For instance, land owners have been demanding a whopping Rs 70 lakh per acre when the revenue wing is offering Rs 16 lakh against the market value of just Rs eight lakh in Tada mandal. The land in question measures 11.59 acres, which is part of 112.12 acres identified for a software park, located at Graddagunta village in the mandal. Of that, 82.10 acres are government land and 18.43 acres belong to DKT.
A meeting was held on July 16 to negotiate the rate with owners of 11.59 acres. A final decision was postponed after farmers sought Rs 70 lakh per acre.
Officials took the matter to the notice of higher authorities, who are yet to give their directions. Revenue officials are caught in a similar situation with regard to patta land acquisition for the mega industrial hub. At the instance of AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, revenue officials identified 2006.05 acres for the hub at Chennayapalem, Anemadugu and Thummalapenta village in Kavali mandal.
Of them, 627.83 acres is patta land, 624.5 acres of DKT and 398.2 acres is of CJFS. Patta land owners in Chennayapalem demanded Rs 75 lakh per acre agast the market value of Rs 16 lakh during negotiations with joint collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad. Some owners were reluctant to even part with their lands for the project.
Meanwhile, farmers from several villages in Naidupeta mandal went to court against the government’s move to procure part of their lands for widening of road from Timmajee Kandriga on NH 16 (near Panduluru railway gate) to Menakuru.
Funds have been sanctioned by Asian Development Bank for the road, which is part of the Visakhapatnam – Chennai Industrial Corridor. However, the project is also on hold because of land issues and legal tangles.
Harendhira Prasad said that they were trying to exhort farmers to part with only a piece of their land. Once the new road comes up, it would boost the market value of the remaining lands that will be in their possession. He sounded confident of convincing the patta land owners.
