Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress and TD of trying to stall development in the state by misguiding farmers over land acquisition for Mallannasagar and other projects, irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Tuesday said that the government will acquire lands after convincing farmers and provide compensation as per GO 123 or the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Hitting out at the TD, Mr Rao said the party’s government in AP acquired 54,000 acres of fertile land for Amaravati ignoring protests though a mere 5,000 acres was enough for other administrative buildings.
“TD govt acquired lakhs of acres despite strong protests. When the Congress government acquired 16,000 acres for Vanpic, TD staged protests. TD government now acquired 2,000 acre for Gannavaram airport, huge lands for Nellore SEZs etc. It has no right to protest here,” Mr Rao said. “When we are ready to give compensation as per LAA-2013, where is the problem? Opposition wants unrest, violence and litigations so that projects are stalled,” he said.
Mr Rao said that the Congress government in Karnataka acquired 1.20 lakh acres covering 22 villages for Almatti and for other projects, but is misleading farmers in TS where submergence is the highest whereas the TRS government was acquiring only 16,000 acres covering 6 villages. He said that the Congress government in Karnataka also acquired 4,000 acres for Bangalore-Chennai expressway and several other projects.
“Congress and TD adopt double standards. Why was opposition silent when Pothireddypadu and Pulichintala was taken up? Pulichintala provided water to AP but several villages in Telangana were submerged,” the minister said. Describing Opposition as a “drama company,” animal husbandry minister T. Srinivas Yadav said that if the Opposition continued with such antics, it would remain out of power for another 20 years.
