Hyderabad: The TS government will tell the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday that the names of as many as six ‘dead’ persons have been filed as petitioners and signatures of another 300 petitioner have been forged in the controversial land acquisition proceedings for Mallannasagar project.
On the directions of irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, counsel for the TS government will bring these ‘facts’ to the notice of High Court that will be taking up fresh hearing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and advocate for the petitioners in the case, K.K. Mahender Reddy said, “The government is free to bring any anomaly to the notice of the court, there might be few minor lapses when we filed the case on behalf of over 800 farmers, let the court take up the matter.” He added that he would verify the government’s claims and inform the HC.
According to the minister, Masula Satyanarayana, Masula Ramachandram (Singaram village), Kunta Mallaiah, Bodelli Yellaiah, Mangari Ramaiah and Basasri P. Ramaiah (Vemulaghat village) had died one to two years ago, much before the petitions on their behalf were filed. Besides this, signatures of about 300 farmers have been ‘forged’ by Congress leaders who copied them from their pattadar pass books etc, Mr Harish Rao had alleged.
The state government’s contention is “to highlight the ‘political manipulation’ by the Congress in filing the case to scuttle construction of Mallannasagar project”.
When this was brought to the notice of Mr Mahender Reddy, he said, “Our aim is to ensure that all the farmers whose lands are going to be acquired are rehabilitated and resettled. We want implementation of Land Acquisition Act, 2013.”
Mr Mahender Reddy said that the government’s intention was to avoid the Act and go ahead with GO 123, “Let the High Court decide who is right and who is not,” Mr Mahender Reddy said.
