Khammam: Farmers affected by Sitarama Enkoor link canal lodge complaint with police

The farmers entered into heated arguments with the official complaining that even after six months over since the lands were acquired for the canal compensation was not paid

Khammam: Upset over the delay in paying compensation for the agricultural lands acquired for Sitarama lift irrigation project Enkoor link canal, farmers have lodged a complaint with Enkoor police against irrigation engineers and a contractor.

The development happened after special deputy Collector Rajeshwari held a meeting with the concerned farmers at the local Rythu Vedika on Thursday. The farmers entered into heated arguments with the official complaining that even after six months over since the lands were acquired for the canal compensation was not paid.

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The farmers were furious when the official reportedly offered to pay Rs 10 lakh per acre as the compensation. They stated prior to starting the canal works, the irrigation officials were assured to pay Rs 25 to 30 lakh per acre and Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao assured farmers that they would be offered a suitable compensation.But the minister Nageswara Rao and the officials have failed to keep their promise; it was nothing but cheating the farmers, they lamented. The farmers in question boycotted the meeting with the special deputy Collector and staged a protest outside the Rythu Vedika demanding Rs 40 lakh compensation per acre.

Later, they submitted a petition to the special deputy Collector, lodged a complaint with Enkoor SI, and the copies of petition were sent to Chief Minister, Telangana State Human Rights commissioner, Khammam Collector, Kallur RDO and tahsildar. Farmers, B Balaji, V Srinivas, G Krishna and others who signed the petition demanded that action should be taken against Sitarama project SE, DE, EE, AE and contractor Mogili Srinivas Reddy for digging their lands for canal works without their consent.

They also wanted the license of the contractor cancelled. The farmers noted that the irrigation officials have surveyed 130 acres of land belonging to 110 farmers for the canal works. But without issuing any notification and announcing compensation award the officials and the contractor have dug an 80 feet width canal in the lands. The farmers were not given any prior information before taking up the works, which they said were started without the approval of the Collector and other concerned officials. As a result the farmers have lost a crop season, the aggrieved farmers noted.