APCRDA forcibly acquires 2.72 acres of land from Undavalli farmers for Amaravati trunk road

THe Andhra Pradesh working capital neighborhood evolution authorisation (APCRDA) has completed the acquisition of a disputed 2.72-acre share in Undavalli village, paving the way for the construction of the Amaravati Seed Access Road, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.Engineering teams, along with personnel from Amaravati Development Corporation Ltd (ADCL) and NCC Ltd, which began the acquisition process on Saturday amid protests by local farmers, started road construction on Monday.Tension prevailed in Undavalli village on Saturday and Sunday after APCRDA authorities took possession of the land from 11 farmers under heavy police deployment. The farmers attempted to stop the officials, alleging that standing crops were being destroyed without compensation.The protesting farmers demanded that the authorities halt the work until their grievances were addressed and adequate compensation was paid. However, police removed the protesters from the site.“We are not against the development, but we want fair compensation. The authorities cannot forcibly take away our land,” a farmer said.The 2.72-acre parcel, owned by 11 farmers in Undavalli village, had been the final hurdle in the completion of the Seed Access Road connecting Amaravati with National Highway-16.A senior APCRDA official said nearly 99.5% of farmers in the capital region had already surrendered their land under the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS), leaving only a small fraction of landowners outside the programme.“We repeatedly appealed to the remaining farmers, stating that voluntary land pooling would be significantly more beneficial than compulsory acquisition and urging them not to allow the process to reach the stage of land acquisition notifications,” the official said.In Undavalli village, close to the national highway, APCRDA had initially proposed acquiring 20.323 acres. Following extensive consultations, farmers owning nearly 10 acres agreed to join the LPS, substantially reducing the extent of land requiring compulsory acquisition. As the remaining landowners continued to oppose the move, authorities issued land acquisition notifications for 10.50 acres.“The consultation process continued even after the notification was issued. As a result, additional farmers subsequently agreed to opt for land pooling,” municipal administration minister P Narayana told reporters on July 7.Negotiations continued after that, with more farmers agreeing to join the LPS.“With only 2.725 acres remaining outside the LPS, we proceeded with compulsory acquisition,” the official said.According to the land acquisition notice, APCRDA released ₹7.14 crore as compensation for the acquisition of 2.725 acres from 11 farmers, at around ₹2.62 crore per acre.“The farmers were demanding that they should get the market value of ₹7 crore per acre, which was rejected,” the official said.The farmers, however, refused to accept the compensation cheques when they were delivered. The government is now depositing the compensation amount before the land acquisition tribunal in accordance with the legal process.“Had they agreed for the LPS, each farmer would have got 1,450 square yards of developed plot per every acre of land they surrendered. As per the market value, each plot costs around ₹6 crore. The value of these developed plots is expected to appreciate substantially once Amaravati is fully developed and becomes operational, providing long-term financial security to participating farmers,” the official added.YSR Congress Party legal cell president M Manohar Reddy condemned the government’s action in Undavalli, saying what happened was not a routine land acquisition process but an attack on the livelihood of small and marginal farmers.“The government used a large police force and bulldozers to destroy standing crops and forcibly take possession of farmers’ lands,” Reddy said.He alleged that the government deliberately chose the weekend to take possession of the land so that farmers would not get immediate legal relief.“The land acquired from farmers is very costly. While nearby land was reportedly purchased for around ₹8 crore per acre by TDP leaders and their associates, farmers are being offered only about ₹2.60 crore per acre,” he alleged.