The die is cast for farmers to choose between the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, or a government order in the matter of claiming compensation for the land that they would lose for construction of Komaravelli Mallannasagar reservoir which is to be a link for the Kaleswaram project on Godavari in Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s Gajwel constituency. Government sources today put out figures how compensation payout according to the GO was better off than the Act as it would fetch them a huge amount at the fixed market value of Rs six lakh an acre.
They said the farmers would get Rs 1,90,800 per acre by the Act, taking into consideration market value at Rs 60,000 which will go up to Rs 90,000 as the government had decided to add a further sum of Rs 30,000. In view of applicability of 100 per cent solatium as per the Act, the amount will go up by another Rs 90,000. Factoring a one year delay in actual payment of money since the issue of notification, the Act has proposed an additional 12 per cent payout which entitles the farmers to get Rs 1,90,800. In effect, the farmers will get a three fold increase over market value as provided by the Act.
However, the government has claimed that it will give ten times the market value which would fetch farmers Rs 5,85,000 an acre.
The Land Acquisition Act also laid down that farmers who lost their houses in addition to the land will get a plot in adjoining village and Rs 70,000 for construction of house under Indira Awas Yojana. They will get pension at the rate of Rs 3,000 for 12 months, totalling Rs 36,000. They are also entitled to another Rs 50,000 for leaving village, Rs 25,000 for shifting their livestock and a one time settlement of Rs 25,000. The total payout will touch Rs 2.31 lakh for backward classes and other classes but an additional Rs 50,000 is paid to SCs and STs.
Since the Act stated that the land oustees should get a monthly pension of Rs 2,000 for 20 years after the first year, the Telangana government decided that it will be compensated by sanction of double bed room houses worth Rs 5.85 lakh. In all, the government by its GO entitled farmers to get Rs 5.85 lakh in cash for loss of one acre of land and double bed room houses of an equal amount.
State puts out figures to show how compensation payout according to the GO is better than the Act
