Rs. 100 Crore to Acquire Lands for Palamuru.

Good news for those farmers whose lands would be acquired for irrigation projects. They don't have to wait for the compensation till it gets clearance from the finance department. Irrigation department itself would make part payment and the remaining would be paid once the award was passed for the oustees.

The key decision was taken at a joint meeting of irrigation and finance departments held at the Secretariat recently.

Hitherto, the finance department was making payments to those farmers from whom the land was acquired and the compensation paid only after completion of land acquisition.

Irrigation department has been asking the finance department to give them the powers for payment. When irrigation minister T Harish Rao made a request to this effect recently, finance minister E Rajender agreed for the same.

Accordingly, the money required for land acquisition would be given to the irrigation department, which will make part payment to the landowners. The amounts would be deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers, who give their land to the government.

This decision was important in the wake of the state government launching massive land acquisition exercise for Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. The irrigation minister wanted the finance minister to release Rs. 100 crore for land acquisition for Palamuru project. The finance minister assured that the required amount would be released within a week to the irrigation department. The amount would be deposited in the PD account of the Mahbubnagar district collector, Rajender said

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS