Telangana HC: Compensate for lands acquired for Medigadda Barrage

HYDERABAD:  In a relief to petitioner farmers, whose lands were acquired for the Medigadda Barrage, which was part of the Kaleshwaram project, the Telangana High Court has directed the State authorities to give the same kind of compensation, including rehabilitation and resettlement, like that given to others under the consent award for the lands acquired for the Medigadda project.

“The authorities shall take into consideration all the material that is to be produced by the petitioners in support of their claim for compensation either at the rate of Rs10 lakhs or more which shall be considered by the authorities, in accordance with law, as expeditiously as possible”, the Court noted.

Justice Challa Kodanda Ram was passing the order in the petition filed by Mulkala Srinivas and 12 other farmers of Suraram village in Mahadevapuram mandal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, challenging the award proceedings of 2019. The petitioners alleged discrimination in payment of compensation ranging between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for the subject lands.

Petitioners’ counsel B Rachna Reddy told the court that under the consent award, other similarly situated individuals whose lands were adjacent to the petitioners’ lands have been paid compensation at Rs 13.75 lakh per acre along with other attendant benefits, whereas the petitioners who have not agreed for making consent award, have been paid only Rs 3 lakh per acre, thereby showing hostile discrimination. 

Merely because the petitioners did not agree for consent award to be passed, they should not be deprived of just compensation as was required to be paid for the subject lands. The government counsel submitted that the award proceedings in relation to others, an amount of Rs 10 lakh per acre have been paid along with other attendant benefits.