Farmers demand fair rates for land acquired for railway line

A group of farmers on Friday met Tirupati MP Dr M. Gurumurthy and submitted a representation expressing concerns over alleged discrepancies in the land compensation process. They accused revenue officials of using outdated land rates to calculate payouts.

The railway line survey between Pudi and Yerpedu has been completed, and the process of compensating landowners is underway. However, farmers claim that despite the present market value of land being in crores per acre, officials rely on government rates from ten years ago, tripling that amount but still falling significantly short of actual market value. This, they argue, has resulted in substantial financial losses.

Unlike other government-acquired lands that fall under the "DKT" category, most of the land along the proposed railway bypass consists of registered private holdings, which have much higher market valuations. Farmers are concerned that the construction of the railway line through their agricultural fields will drastically reduce their land values, making it difficult to sell or use the remaining portions effectively.

Another pressing issue raised by the farmers is the lack of access roads to their fields once the railway line is constructed. With no viable routes for tractors, harvesting machines, or other agricultural equipment, they fear major disruptions to farming operations.

Representing the concerns of the affected farmers, Purushottam Reddy from MD Puthur appealed to MP Gurumurthy, requesting the construction of large culverts or alternative pathways to facilitate movement.

Farmers insist that since the railway project will impact the marketability and usability of their lands, compensation should be based on prevailing market rates rather than outdated valuations. They have cited previous instances of unfair compensation in other land acquisition cases, expressing frustration that they are now facing similar losses.