Uppal Bhagath land owners cry foul

​Hyderabad: Farmers who lost their lands on acquisition under Musi Conservation and River Front Development cried foul over allotment of plots at Uppal Bhagath village. The farmers alleged that Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) which had earmarked plots earlier for distribution was now cheating them.

According to one of the farmers K Damodar (Name changed on request) , a 50-year-old beneficiary said the HMDA officials promised to offer the same area of land which they had acquired for Musi project but were now cheating them by giving less land. "We have given away our precious land for the Musi project and HMDA does not have enough land to give us,” said the source.

Echoing his concern, V Rajamallu said, there were more number of farmers who have to get 150 square yard plots than the land available for distribution. Moreover, the plots which they promise to allot are at the end of the area and are irregular in shape. Construction of a house in such irregular plots would not be an easy task.

When contacted, HMDA Commissioner T Chiranjeevulu said, “As we are short of 20 plots of 150 square yard, we are adjusting them with 200 square yard and 300 square yard plots. When we divided the layout depending upon the area, we got more number of plots for 200 square yards and 300 square yards and we got less plots for 150 square yards. There are 226 Beneficiaries for 150 square yards and we have only 196 plots so we have to make some adjustments within the available plots,” he added.

It may be mentioned here that Lottery of Allotment of Reconstituted Developed Plots of 2,000 square yard, 1,000 square yard, 600 square yard, 500 square yard, 300 square yard, 250 square yard, 200 square yards and 150 square yard were given to 1,066 farmers who lost their lands under Musi Conservation and River Front Development at Uppal Bhagath Village.