HYDERABAD: Not satisfied with the submissions of the State government counsel regarding compensation paid to some of the land losers under Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, a division bench of Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the State government not to dispossess the petitioners of their lands in Etigadda Kistapur village in Siddipet district which were acquired for Mallanna Sagar reservoir, a part of the  Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project (KLIP), until the compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement package benefits were given to them, who fall under the affected families category.

The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Rajasheker Reddy was passing this order in a contempt case filed by six agricultural labour complaining that the revenue officials have barged into the lands to take up reservoir works.

Petitioners’ counsel Ch Ravi Kumar told the court that the revenue officials along with police have intruded into the lands and forcibly dispossessed the petitioners from the fields despite a court stay order. To substantiate his allegations the counsel submitted photographs of the incident.

After hearing the petitioners’ counsel, the bench asked the government counsel as to why the authorities have deprived the petitioners of their lands without the benefits assured by the government prior to acquiring the lands.

In reply, state additional advocate general J Ramachandra Rao submitted that the government has provided about `1,250 crore towards R&R package to the affected families and the package formulated by the government was more beneficial  than the package  under the X Schedule.

In fact, the petitioners do not belong to the said village and the case filed before the high court was a politically motivated one, he added.

Not satisfied with the AAG reply, the bench termed the submissions of AAG as vague and were not supported by material evidence. It was the government’s responsibility to show the affected families their livelihood by providing the benefits assured to them, and they should not be dispossessed till they were given the package benefits, the bench told the government.

While adjourning the case, the bench directed the authorities not to resort to forcible dispossession till the petitioners were paid their dues and  to inform the court about the steps taken in this regard by next  date of hearing. The matter was posted to May 15 for further hearing.