Govt Distributes Plots to Pharma City Land Oustees
In the first phase, registration documents for the plots were handed over to 387 farmers on Tuesday
Hyderabad: The state government has begun distributing developed plots measuring 121 square yards each to farmers whose land was acquired for the Hyderabad Pharma City project during the previous BRS regime, in addition to the compensation already paid to them. In the first phase, registration documents for the plots were handed over to 387 farmers on Tuesday, who had surrendered less than five acres each. The Congress government has decided to utilise the acquired land for developing Bharat Future City.
The then-BRS government had decided to acquire 19,333 acres of assigned and patta land for Pharma City, of which more than 7,800 acres were acquired in Nakkarta Medipalli, Nanaknagar, Tadiparthi and Kurmidda of Yacharam mandal in Rangareddy district. Farmers of assigned patta land were initially paid `8 lakh per acre, while those in occupation of government land received `7.7 lakh per acre.
Private patta landowners were paid more than `35 lakh per acre in instalments, beginning at `12.5 lakh.
Following protests against the Pharma City project, the government decided to allot developed plots measuring 121 square yards for every acre surrendered by farmers who had received compensation. A 620-acre mega venture was developed in Panjaguda of Mirakhanpet revenue village limits, where plots were allotted through a lottery and possession shown to beneficiaries. Though the TGIIC registered the plots at its own cost last year, the registration documents were not handed over during the BRS government tenure.
More than 1,100 patta farmers from the four villages had surrendered their land holding. Some had purchased land years earlier for around `4.5 lakh per acre and agreed to surrender it after being assured compensation of `12.5 lakh per acre. Farmers recently brought the delay in handing over registration documents to the government's notice. However, distribution of documents to assigned-land farmers is likely to be delayed further following allegations of irregularities. Certificates were issued to 5,720 assigned and patta farmers and plots were registered according to allotted numbers. Subsequently, the government identified more than 250 suspected fake beneficiaries among those claiming assigned land.
Allegations included around 120 cases in Nakkarta Medipalli, 80 in Nanaknagar, 60 in Tadiparthi and more than 90 in Kurmidda, with some suspected beneficiaries allegedly receiving certificates and compensation.
The state government ordered an inquiry, while village leaders submitted lists of suspected beneficiaries to Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy and collector C. Narayana Reddy. Distribution of documents to suspicious beneficiaries has been kept on hold pending verification.
