Cancel Land Acquisition Petition: TRS To Congress

Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today reiterated that the Mallanna Sagar reservoir project would be completed at all costs despite the Opposition's uproar, and asked them to withdraw their anti-land-acquisition petition.

Speaking to the media, Rao slammed the Congress for moving the High Court against the GO 123 land acquisition for irrigation projects, and for "misleading" farmers on the issue.

He urged the Opposition parties and the farmers to voluntarily withdraw their petition filed against the land acquisition, and asked the farmers to hand over their lands to the State government for Mallanna Sagar. He said that the reservoir would only benefit the evacuees.

The minister criticized the Congress and the Telangana TDP for spreading false information about the acquisition process, and reiterated that the revised GO 190 would provide better compensation and relief to the oustees.

Rao pointed out that people from nine villages had already given their lands to the government for the purpose and were compensated fairly, and assured the people that the landless farmers from the SC and ST communities would receive Rs. 7.5 lakhs in compensation. In addition to that, the government would give monthly allowances of Rs. 3,000 (SC/ST) and Rs. 2,000 (general) to the oustees, Rao said.