In what could be termed as a great relief to the landless poor in villages under Mallannasagar reservoir, the High Court issued an order in their favour, directing the government to provide rehabilitation and resettlement to them.
As many as 113 landless poor from Vemulaghat in Toguta mandal and Etigaddakishtapur in Kondapaka mandal had approached the court seeking justice.
Plea to court
They urged the court to grant a stay on taking of possession and initiation of any kind of construction activities by the respondent authorities in the lands procured under Government Order 123 and Section 30 A of Act 21 of 2017 (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act- 2016 (Telangana Amendment)) in Vemulaghat and other villages for the proposed Komaravelli Mallannasagar reservoir, while allowing agriculture operations to continue.
Responding to this, the court issued the following orders:
βIn view of the Section 38 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act β 2013 which prohibits taking of possession until full payment of compensation as well as rehabilitation and resettlement entitlements being paid to entitled persons including the petitioners herein who claim to be landless agriculture labourers entitled thereto under Section 16 of the said Act, there shall be interim stay as prayed for.β Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao had issued these orders last week.
Copies submitted
The landless poor who filed the case in the court have submitted the copies to the mandal revenue officer of Toguta on Tuesday.