Land acquisition for UKP 3: Govt. has to pay ₹2 lakh crore compensation

A whopping amount of over ₹2 lakh crore has to be disbursed as compensation for the acquisition of 1.33 lakh acres to be acquired for Upper Krishna Project-3 if an average is calculated as per the additional compensation awards given by the courts, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, said on Thursday.

Responding to a question from BJP member P.H. Poojar, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has gone on an appeal against additional compensation awarded by the court as government will have to shell out ₹66,563 crores to 29,566 acres which has been acquired already. The government has estimated compensation of ₹2.01 lakh crores to be provided for acquiring 1,33,867 acres based on average calculation of additional compensation awarded by the courts. In his written reply, Mr. Shivakumar said that 28,407 cases were pending in court seeking higher compensation for land being acquired for UKP-3.

He said that there was a nexus with advocates involved in this. However, Mr. Poojar took exception to this statement and said that the additional compensation has been given by court due to the delay in process of awarding compensation.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that a proposal was being finalised in the Cabinet to solve the problem, and that he has even sought transfer the land acquisition process from Revenue Department to Irrigation Department. “Some of the court awards have been in the range of ₹8 crores to ₹10 crore. Even in Bengaluru, such high rates do not prevail.”

He also appealed to the elected representatives to convince the farmers for enhanced compensation and consent to acquisition, and the government would come up with a formula. “Farmers are unhappy with the Cabinet sub-committee’s decision during the Basavaraj Bommai government. Convince the farmers and we will come up with a plan,” he said.