Rajamahendravaram: AMS demands R&R package under new Land Acquisition Act

Rajamahendravaram: Adivasi Maha Sabha (AMS) legal adviser Inyapurapu Suryanarayana has clarified that GO RT No 224 issued by Andhra Pradesh government on June 30, 2021, to pay Rs 10 lakh per family to the victims of Polavaram project land acquisition is not legal. The provisions incorporated in the new Land Acquisition Act (LAA-2014) are not in GO 224, he said and pointed out that as per the new LAA, an additional Rs 50,000 should be paid to SC and ST families.

Addressing a media conference at Rajahmundry Press Club on Monday, Suryanarayana demanded increase in R&R package to meet the increased prices under the new LAA. The provisions of the new LAA have been ignored in GO-224. He said that employment, subsistence allowance, transport charges and resettlement allowance have to be paid as per the new Act. Suryanarayana criticised that even though two years passed since the issuance of GO-224, the R&R package of Rs 10 lakh has not been paid. This GO should be cancelled immediately, he demanded.

Suryanarayana stated that according to Section 31, the increased R&R package will be Rs 10,82,000. In addition to this, according to PISA Act, Rs 2 lakh should be added to Tribals as the wages for 500 working days for the loss of forest products. According to this calculation, Tribals will have to be paid Rs 12,82 000 and non-Tribals will have to be paid Rs 10,82,000. He demanded that a GO should be issued immediately to this extent.

The AMS legal adviser said AP High Court and Supreme Court have directed that the D-form title holders and Farming title holders should be paid the same compensation. It has been violated by the government, he alleged.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the government does not have the decision-making authority in the matter of land or cash compensation for the land and the residents should be allowed to decide what should be taken. Suryanarayana said that the government should not cheat by giving useless lands in the name of land for the land. The demand of AMS has been clarified to give land to land in the command area. He criticised that the government is alienating the lands allocated for the collective needs of the residents in Krishnunipalem R&R Colony. He reminded that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced that he would give an additional compensation of Rs 3 lakh when he came to power. AMS leaders A Veerabhadra Reddy, Y Nageswara Rao and Jakkala Pandavulu participated in the press meet.