Land acquisition for Google's data centre at Tarluvada in Anandapuram mandal of Bhimili constituency in Visakhapatnam district is progressing at a fast pace. The state government has increased the registration value of land to Rs. 20 lakhs per acre and decided to pay additional compensation to farmers. Many farmers are voluntarily giving their consent to part with their land. Though there is some opposition, more than 60 percent of the farmers have already submitted their consent documents.
A large number of farmers attended a meeting at the Circuit House here on Thursday. MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad explained the benefits provided by the government to landowners. Majji Venkat Rao, father of YSRCP MPP Majji Sharada and former Sarpanch of Tarluvada, also attended the meeting and submitted his consent. The government will begin depositing compensation into farmers’ accounts from Saturday
Government Accepts Farmers’ Demands
- The government is allotting 308.657 acres to Google. The lands will be collected under the APIIC Industrial Park and handed over to Google. Out of this, 204 acres include D-patta and Shivay Jamedar lands not recorded in official records.
- Earlier, the registration value was Rs 17 lakhs per acre for D-patta lands and Rs 8.5 lakhs per acre for unrecorded Shivay Jamedar lands. The government increased the value at the request of farmers to Rs 20 lakhs for D-patta lands and to Rs 10 lakhs in respect of Shivay Jamedar lands.
- Farmers requested that 20 cents per acre be allotted back to them and the remaining land be compensated. The government agreed to it. Farmers giving one acre of land will receive compensation for 80 cents while 20 cents will be allotted to them.
Additional Compensation and House Land
- Compensation will be paid from Saturday. D-patta landowners will get 2.5 times the government fixed registration value, and Shivay Jamedar landowners will get compensation at the previously agreed price.
- Farmers who give their land to the government are given 3 cents of house land approved by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. In addition, the government will provide families with facilities to construct commercial complexes and support those who have lost crops. Farmers demanded that the area of house land be increased to 5 cents and also a fair deal for those who gave earlier the land for skill centres and schools.
- Measures Against Misleading Offers Some farmers complained that middlemen are offering them developed land and more cash in order to persuade them not to give any land to the government. They even claimed that some cases were filed in their names without consent. Additional District Collector RDO Sangeet Madhur has confirmed the receipt of complaints about the same with police. MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao ordered authorities to take action against middlemen for misleading farmers regarding Google land acquisition.
