Telangana High Court orders government to compensate Kaleshwaram oustees in 3 months

Hyderabad: The High Court has directed the State government that the exercise of re-determination of compensation for lands, structures and determination of the lump sum rehabilitation and resettlement to each of the petitioners and as well as payment of the same shall be made within 3 months.

The Division Bench comprising Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice K.Lakshman was hearing the three writ petitions through video conference on Wednesday.

The petitioners sought compensation for those who lost their lands to Kaleshwaram Projectj, Ananthagiri Sagar Reservoir in Allipur village, Chinna Kondur mandal, Siddipet district and Ananthagiri village, Ellanthakunta mandal, Rajanna SircilladDistrict. They said that the oustees were eking out their livelihood by doing farming.

The counsel for the petitioners Rachana Reddy requested the High Court Bench to pay compensation, resettlement and compensation for the land lost to the Kaleshwaram Project's Ananthagiri Sagar Reservoir.

The petitioners contended that petitioners were forcibly evicted from their lands and houses.

Further, the government officials resorted to coercive tactics and forced them to sign 'consent awards' offering arbitrary price for their lands which had no bearing to the registration or the market value of the lands in the said villages. And that they did not give the willingness to sell their land voluntarily as per the procedure prescribed, the petitioner counsel argued.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Bench that the petitioners in all these cases were paid lump sum Rehabilitation and Resettlement amounts in addition to market value compensation for their lands.

The Bench directed the State government to compensate, rehabilitate and resettle as per the 2013 Act. Moreover, the court ordered the State tovernment to resolve the problems of land-dwellers within three months.