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SEZ land acquisition controversy hots up
Santosh Patnaik
| Farmers vow to resist it with all their might |
VISAKHAPATNAM: Farmers who received notices to surrender their lands to facilitate second phase of acquisition for Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Atchutapuram have declared a war against the move.
The district administration issued notification for acquisition of 2,109.72 acres - 416.11 acres in Gorapudi village, 327.11 acres in Krishnampalem, 80.46 acres in L. Koduru, 757.96 acres in Z. Chintuva and 230.08 acres in Pudi, all in Ramiblli mandal and 298 acres in Tantadi in Atchurapuram mandal - for the second phase.
First phase
Under the first phase, 9,200 acres was acquired. The land there has been allotted to the Apparel Park Project being developed by Brandix of Sri Lanka and second centre of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
The administration has identified 10,000 acres for developing infrastructure in the second phase for which notification was issued some time ago for acquiring 2,109.72 acres.
"Come what may, we will not surrender our land. They are valuable and we depend on them for our livelihood for several decades," SEZ Nirvasula Sankshema Sangham secretary Budda Ranga Rao told The Hindu .
Offer rejected
Enquiries revealed that at the district-level negotiation committee meeting held on September 26, the officials offered compensation ranging from Rs.1.12 lakhs to Rs.1.60 lakhs per acre.
The representatives of the farmers rejected the offer outright.
Mr. Ranga Rao said the farmers had staged a dharna in front of the Mandal Revenue Office at Atchurapuram and adopted a resolution not to give up their lands whatever compensation the Government offered.
The land compensation package has been finalised, subject to approval at various levels, on the basis of rate per acre approved by Joint Collector at the rate of Rs. 80,000, plus 30 per cent solatium and 12 per cent additional market value from the date of draft notification,
Real estate boom
Santyasi Raju, another farmer, pointed out that due to real estate boom, the prices have appreciated like anything. Realtors were offering them somewhere between Rs. 20 lakhs and Rs. 40 lakhs per acre depending on the location of their land. "Hence, we are ready for a bloodbath to retain our lands," he declared.
During the first phase, a compensation of Rs. 2.95 lakhs was awarded. After protracted discussions, the State Level Negotiation Committee agreed to enhance the compensation amount to Rs. 2 lakhs originally. Following intervention of Chief Minister, it was raised to Rs. 2.95 lakhs as per GO Ms. No. 439 issued on July 22, 2004.
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"Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power.
It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality."
- Dr BR Ambedkar
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