Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the Peddapally district collector and Land Acquisition Officer of Kaleswaram lift irrigation project not to dispossess farmers of Kasipet, Siripuram, Uppatla and Mustyala villages from their lands till completion of an inquiry to pass the compensation award.
A division bench comprising Acting Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a PIL by Mandhala Raji Reddy seeking to declare as illegal the alleged trespassing by authorities into the lands of the farmers and forcibly taking over the lands for construction of the Sundilla Barrage and Lift System from Annaram barrage to Sundilla Barrage, as a part of Kaleswaram lift irrigation project.
B. Rachana Reddy, counsel appearing for the petitioner, told the court the authorities, without completing the process of land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 were forcibly dispossessing the farmers from their lands by entering into their properties and taking up drilling and blasting activity for construction of the Sundilla Barrage.
Ms Reddy submitted that the authorities decided to acquire over 780 acres in four villages and issued notifications on different dates in March and April this year to conduct award inquiry. She said that without conducting the inquiry, the authorities declared the award and were now trying to dispossess the farmers brushing aside their objections.
The bench told the authorities to consider the objections of the farmers and conduct award inquiry as per the Act, 2013 and pass the award. The bench said till passing of the award, the farmers should not be dispossessed of their properties.
