‘Submit report on R&R for oustees by Tuesday’, says Hyderabad HC

HYDERABAD: Finding fault with the Andhra Pradesh government for its failure to place details of the benefits provided to the project-affected families in the state, a division bench of the High Court on Thursday granted it time till Tuesday for submitting full details explaining the steps taken for providing benefits to the concerned in accordance with the provisions of the new Land Acquisition Act, 2013 regarding rehabilitation and resettlement package.

While dealing with a PIL filed by AP Agricultural Workers Union, represented by its general secretary V Venkateswarlu, the bench comprising acting chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice K Vijaya Lakshmi recalled that in November last year AP's advocate-general Dammalapati Srinivas had made a submission that the state would require four months' time to complete identification of project-affected families in areas where land was taken but no rehabilitation was made. The bench said that the above period was over by March 21 this year. Failure to submit details was not proper on such an important issue, it said and asked the government to tell about the steps taken in respect of affected families as per the guidelines specified from Section 16 to 18 of the Act 2013.

When the AG sought some more time for placing the details, the bench adjourned the case hearing to Tuesday.

Earlier, the petitioner's counsel had pointed out that the authorities were going ahead with the land acquisition process without taking into consideration the affected families. He reminded the court about the undertaking given by the AG that the state would acquire lands which were notified for various projects in the state only after complying with all provisions of the new Land Acquisition Act 2013 pertaining to rehabilitation and resettlement to all the affected families.

The AG submitted that the official machinery would first conduct survey to identify the affected families before placing those details to the district collector concerned, and then the commissioner concerned would pass the awards providing R & R benefits to those affected. Only those who have lost their livelihood would be considered as the 'affected family', he added.

The bench then reminded the AG about the undertaking given by him that the state would require four months' time to identify the affected families in respect of land acquisition notifications issued in respect of 600 places. While adjourning the case to Tuesday, the bench directed the state to submit complete details on the issue.