SEZ land acquisition controversy hots up

Santosh Patnaik

Farmers vow to resist it with all their might

VISAKHAPATNAM: Farmers who received notices to surrender their lands to
facilitate second phase of acquisition for Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
at Atchutapuram have declared a war against the move.

The district administration issued notification for acquisition of
2,109.72 acres - 416.11 acres in Gorapudi village, 327.11 acres in
Krishnampalem, 80.46 acres in L. Koduru, 757.96 acres in Z. Chintuva and
230.08 acres in Pudi, all in Ramiblli mandal and 298 acres in Tantadi in
Atchurapuram mandal - for the second phase.

First phase

Under the first phase, 9,200 acres was acquired. The land there has been
allotted to the Apparel Park Project being developed by Brandix of Sri
Lanka and second centre of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

The administration has identified 10,000 acres for developing
infrastructure in the second phase for which notification was issued
some time ago for acquiring 2,109.72 acres.

"Come what may, we will not surrender our land. They are valuable and we
depend on them for our livelihood for several decades," SEZ Nirvasula
Sankshema Sangham secretary Budda Ranga Rao told The Hindu .

Offer rejected

Enquiries revealed that at the district-level negotiation committee
meeting held on September 26, the officials offered compensation ranging
from Rs.1.12 lakhs to Rs.1.60 lakhs per acre.

The representatives of the farmers rejected the offer outright.

Mr. Ranga Rao said the farmers had staged a dharna in front of the
Mandal Revenue Office at Atchurapuram and adopted a resolution not to
give up their lands whatever compensation the Government offered.

The land compensation package has been finalised, subject to approval at
various levels, on the basis of rate per acre approved by Joint
Collector at the rate of Rs. 80,000, plus 30 per cent solatium and 12
per cent additional market value from the date of draft notification,

Real estate boom

Santyasi Raju, another farmer, pointed out that due to real estate boom,
the prices have appreciated like anything. Realtors were offering them
somewhere between Rs. 20 lakhs and Rs. 40 lakhs per acre depending on
the location of their land. "Hence, we are ready for a bloodbath to
retain our lands," he declared.

During the first phase, a compensation of Rs. 2.95 lakhs was awarded.
After protracted discussions, the State Level Negotiation Committee
agreed to enhance the compensation amount to Rs. 2 lakhs originally.
Following intervention of Chief Minister, it was raised to Rs. 2.95
lakhs as per GO Ms. No. 439 issued on July 22, 2004.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/16/stories/2006101617250100.htm