Expedite return of KSEZ lands to farmers, officials told

Kakinada: Special Chief Secretary to Industries and Commerce R Karikal Valaveen instructed Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) officials to complete the process of returning lands to farmers in the KSEZ area.

Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu, Special Chief Secretary to Industries and Commerce R Karikal Valaveen and District Collector D Muralidhar Reddy held a meeting with KSEZ officials and farmers at the Collectorate here on Tuesday.

Valaveen said that 1,357 acres of land out of 2,180 acres should be given back to the farmers. For the remaining 823 acres, the revenue and KSEZ officials should show alternative lands to the farmers. He said that the entire process should be completed immediately as per the 2007 land awards and the original assessments without any objections.

He suggested that the officials should conduct field inspections to resolve the problems.

Minister Kannababu said that for the first time in the history of the country, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had taken the decision to return the lands acquired for KSEZ to the farmers. He said the State government had issued orders in March to return 2180 acres of land in KSEZ to farmers. He said that the officials should strictly follow the government orders in giving back the lands to the farmers. The Chief Minister had directed the concerned authorities to implement the GO at fast pace and in transparent manner. The government would issue a GO for registration of these lands without any stamp duty, he added.

He said that on the request of the locals, some habitations in Srirampuram, Bandipeta, Mummidivaripodu, Pativaripalem, Ravivaripodu and Ramaraghavapuram have been exempted from the KSEZ limits. He suggested the Superintendent of Police to lift the criminal cases against farmers who have raised concerns against land acquisition. He said that the government would pay Rs 10 lakh per acre as compensation to the farmers with regard to 657 acres in Kona area of Thondangi mandal. He directed the KSEZ officials to complete the land acquisition process within 15 days.

District Collector Muralidhar Reddy said that the compensation will also be provided to fruit bearing trees on farmers' lands as per the value fixed by the Horticulture department. He said that the lands, the records of which were published in the gazette, would be considered as the government land.