Latest news with #LandAcquisitionActof2013
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
KTR sees dismal future for Cong's ‘Future City'
Hyderabad: BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Sunday said that the 'so-called Future City' repeatedly mentioned by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had no future, asserting that Reddy's ambition to turn the Hyderabad Pharma City lands into a real estate business for his family and friends will not be fulfilled. Rama Rao strongly condemned the Congress government's approach to the Telangana Pharma City lands, accusing Revanth Reddy of being a leader without vision and his decisions leading to the wastage of public money. He expressed his anguish that the farmers who gave their lands for the Pharma City project have been cheated. He criticized the government for scrapping the ambitious Pharma City project, initiated by the KCR government, and replacing it with an unreal and imaginary 'Future City'. He described the Future City promotion as an example of what happens when a state is run by a careless leader. KTR reiterated that according to the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, land acquired for a specific public purpose cannot be diverted for real estate projects for the benefit of others. He recalled that he had warned the Congress government about this in the Assembly two years ago. Despite this, Revanth Reddy's government spent hundreds of crores on PR and was now facing severe legal hurdles, which even officials are now admitting. The BRS leader said that during the BRS government's tenure, proposals were prepared for the Hyderabad Pharma City with 20,000 acres of land spread across 56 villages. He noted that local farmers voluntarily came forward and gave their lands for the benefit of the state. However, while the Congress party promised to return every single acre of land acquired for Pharma City to the farmers, Revanth Reddy's government was now betraying them by attempting to turn the same land into a real estate business for his family members and friends, KTR expressed outrage. He stated that the future of the land allocated for pharma companies has become uncertain. KTR alleged that even though the previous government had started developing infrastructure with crores of rupees of public money for the Pharma City project, Revanth Reddy's government sidelined it and was now trying to illegally divert the land for real estate under the name of Future City.
Indian Express
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Balbir Sidhu urges farmers not to fall for govt's web of false promises
The senior Congress leader and former health minister of Punjab, Balbir Singh Sidhu, has appealed to the people not to fall for the web of deception being spun by the Punjab government regarding its so-called changes to the land pooling policy. He said that due to the government's poor financial condition, it is simply not in a position to provide Rs 50,000 or Rs 1 lakh per year in compensation to landowners. Sidhu said that this is the same government which failed to provide Rs 1,000 a month to women, couldn't clear payments to private hospitals under the Ayushman scheme, hasn't released pending dues to PRTC for women's free travel, hasn't paid dearness allowance to government employees on a par with the Centre and Haryana, and couldn't ensure MSP to farmers like Haryana does. 'How can such a government be expected to give Rs 50,000 or Rs 1 lakh annually to landowners?' he asked. He added that for 65,000 acres of land, if the government pays Rs 50,000 per acre annually until possession, the yearly liability will amount to Rs 325 crore and post-possession, this figure would double to Rs 650 crore annually. 'Even the common man can understand that under no circumstance can the Punjab government bear this kind of financial burden,' he said. The former minister stressed that the issue is not merely about money or compensation, it is tied to the very existence of farmers, which would be threatened by the implementation of this land pooling policy. 'A farmer's existence is linked to his land. Once the land is taken away, that identity is lost,' he said. He added that 90% of Punjab's farmers are from generations of agricultural families and cannot shift to any other profession. Losing their land would render them unemployed. Sidhu also highlighted that the policy makes no mention of the future of landless labourers and several other vulnerable sections of society who depend on agriculture. He warned that diverting such vast swathes of land from cultivation will not only reduce foodgrain production but will also severely harm Punjab's natural environment impacting animals, biodiversity, flora and fauna. He pointed out that the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, enacted by the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, clearly defined the responsibilities of governments in such matters, including fair compensation and rehabilitation. But instead of following that law, the Punjab government is trying to bypass its obligations through this misleading land pooling policy. The Congress leader questioned the need for such massive housing and industrial projects when thousands of residential and industrial plots in Punjab already lie vacant. 'That's exactly why the Punjab government had to recently launch a scheme to convert unused industrial plots into commercial ones,' he said. Sidhu demanded that the government immediately withdraw the land pooling policy and, if there is genuine need for land, acquire it under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act by offering one-time cash compensation so that farmers can buy land elsewhere and sustain their livelihoods. He said, 'Punjab's farmers are wise and will not be misled by the web of false promises being spread by the government.'
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Land acquisition for Samruddhi extension, Shaktipeeth eway to begin soon in region
Nagpur: Land acquisition worth over Rs5,000 crore for Samruddhi extension, and the Shaktipeeth expressway, is expected to start in the region in the coming months. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has nearly completed the joint measurement of private land to be taken over for the extension of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg to Gondia and Gadchiroli. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The measurement of land in 20 villages in Wardha district to be acquired for the Shaktipeeth Expressway connecting Goa has also been concluded, said sources. For the Samruddhi Extension towards Gondia, measurement has been done in 104 villages out of 113 on the route. On the Bhandara line, 58 out of the 62 villages have been covered under joint measurement. However, a proposal for an alternative alignment for an extension towards Chandrapur has been put forward. It was eventually found that there are coal blocks on the earlier route, and the area cannot be given up for the road. A new route has been drawn, and approval is awaited, said a source. The extension will add another 400km of six-lane highway to the Samruddhi Mahamarg. This will soon be followed by the issuance of notices under the Maharashtra Highways Act, which also incorporates elements of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, said an official. This includes provisions for compensation measured at five times the land value for those who agree and enter into a deal with MSRDC. Even those who oppose it get four-time value if their holdings are compulsorily taken over, explained a source. The base value is derived on the basis of ready reckoner rates or the average of transactions in the last three years before the notification — whichever is higher. If two crops are taken on the land with irrigation, there is an add-on of 1.5 times on the base value, and then the five-time cost is calculated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now For fully irrigated land like orchards, the add-on to the base value goes up to 2 times, explained an official. The measurement concluded without any opposition from the locals, said officials. The total cost estimated for the Samruddhi extension comes to more than Rs4,500 crore. Another close to Rs380 to 400 crore may be needed for the Shaktipeeth land acquisition in Wardha district, from where the expressway starts. The leg towards Gondia will start from Gavasi near Nagpur and terminate at the Balaghat highway, passing through Tiroda. A road connecting Bhandara and Gadchiroli will diverge from this leg. An existing road ahead will be widened by National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI), which will ultimately connect to Durg in Chhattisgarh, a source said. The joint measurement for the extension towards Chandrapur, beginning from Seldoh in Wardha, will be done after the new alignment is approved.
Hans India
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Road widening work begins in Vemulawada
Sircilla: The road widening work that has been pending in the town for a decade in Vemulawada town, where Sri Vemulawada Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple, known as the Dakshina Kashi of Sircilla, is located commenced. Officials removed the municipal shops in the Mutton Market area of the town with JCBs and with the help of police. The road width from Tippapur Reddy to Rajanna Temple has been determined to be 80 feet. Officials have provided compensation to 70 out of a total of 260 displaced persons under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. The government has allocated Rs. 47 crore for it. Officials issued notices to the evacuees 15 days ago to vacate their houses. Some people have gone to court seeking time by June 20, while the authorities will remove the rest of the houses. Vemulawada RTO Radhabai has requested all the displaced persons to cooperate. In view of the road widening initiative in Vemulawada town, the authorities have implemented Section 144 from 6 am on Monday up to a distance of 100 meters from the road widening site in the town. Government Whip and Vemulawada MLA Adi Srinivas told The Hans India that on November 20, under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, in the presence of 8 ministers, the foundation stone was laid for the expansion of the temple with a cost of Rs 76 crore, for the road widening with a cost of Rs 47 crore and for the construction of Anna Satram with a cost of Rs 35 crore. The town development goes on in accordance with the increasing urban population. The MLA said he and the officials visited Sringeri Peethani 4 times to expand the Vemulawada temple in 4 acres and are moving forward with the development of the temple after taking their suggestions and advice. Better facilities will be provided to the devotees of Rajanna who come from other states as well as from our own state so that they can have a quick darshan, he said. On the occasion of the road expansion from Vemulawada Tippapur Bridge to Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy Temple, Collector Sandeep Kumar Jha and Vemulawada RDO Radhabai distributed cheques to 20 displaced persons who are parting with their lands.
Hindustan Times
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Parl panel flag violations in land acquisition
The Parliamentary standing committee on rural development flagged blatant violations of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 in cases where land was acquired by undermining the authority of gram sabhas, people familiar with the May 28 proceedings in New Delhi said . Underhanded techniques, such as using forged signatures to manufacture consent, remained a key focus of the panel, which discussed land acquisitions for infrastructure development and industrial purposes, such as for mining bauxite and iron ore, without the mandatory clearances of gram sabhas. The committee discussed in depth at least nine cases from Odisha involving serious violations affecting the forest rights of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) in the implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, Land Acquisition Act and the Forest Rights Act intersect in several cases involving land acquisition in forested areas. 'In the last two-three years, many arbitrary decisions were taken on giving leases for bauxite mining in Kalahandi, Koraput, Rayagada districts and iron ore mining in Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts in Odisha. In all cases, the Land Acquisition Act 2013 was violated, where the governments had forcefully and fraudulently acquired lands across Fifth Schedule areas in the Constitution without the knowledge and consent of gram sabhas,' said a person part of the meeting. The standing committee recorded oral evidence from representatives of the department of land resources under the ministry of rural development on May 28, as well as from experts and other stakeholders, on the implementation and effectiveness of the Land Acquisition Act. The Act mandates prior and informed consent of the affected families, a social impact assessment before any rehabilitation, and importantly, the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups: members of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and OTFDs. The committee discussed at least nine instances of such violations across five districts in the state, including in Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, where in March this year, 43 tribal families' houses were bulldozed for an airstrip expansion project. '43 tribal families are living their daily life without proper rehabilitation. The district administration had issued a notice giving one month's time to vacate homes, but within six days of serving the said notice, their houses were bulldozed. A notice was issued to conduct a gram sabha, but it wasn't held. The land in question is grazing land where the villagers have been staying for more than 35 years…PMAY houses were constructed [in that land]…the villagers could have been consulted, and rehabilitation and proper compensation could have been offered till they agreed to shift for the expansion of one Air strip,' said a person part of the meeting, wishing anonymity. The person added that various Members of Parliaments (MPs) also pointed out that gram sabhas' consent was not taken as a norm across the country. The committee also discussed the fake gram sabhas allegedly held on December 8, 2023, for the diversion of forest lands for non-forest purposes in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts for bauxite mining in 10 villages. Another person part of the meeting said: 'None of villages where gram sabhas were allegedly held had any prior information about the proposals for forest diversion for the bauxite mines. However, we were told that the resolutions were fake, and it was shocking that gram sabhas were allegedly held on the same date and time across all the 10 villages and that the sarpanch or other government officials who have signed in gram sabha documents were also present in ten different places on the same time and date.' Officials present at the meeting told HT that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had also sent a letter on this issue in March this year to the state government for a thorough examination. People aware of the matter said that inadequate compensation and rehabilitation under the Land Acquisition Act were also discussed in the meeting. 'The need for an immediate action from the central government for the implementation of all the special provisions under RFCTLARR Act 2013 for the rights of STs and other forest-dependent communities were also discussed,' said another official.
