As per UT Officials, 35 farmers had been compensated to the tune of Rs 30 crore in exchange for land, which was acquired for expansion of the IT park’s Phase III.
The apex court, however, recently quashed the acquisition terming it illegal. The Administration’s intentions have put farmers in a quandary as some of them had approached the UT administration officials stating that they cannot return the money after four years now and that they were willing to let the UT administration keep the possession of their land.
Sources say that since the land, which is till date in possession of UT administration, has to be released back to the farmers, authorities now want the money back with interest. Since the case in question was in progress in the SC, the Ministry of Home Affairs had put a ban on any land acquisition in the city.
After the apex court judgment, the MHA further tightened the noose around the UT Administration asking it to first take MHA’s approval even for smaller projects,by submitting the cases before the ministry, which will take a decision on a case-to-case basis.
The Administration had recently written to the ministry, requesting for permission or relaxation in the ban to enable it to acquire land for important projects that have been delayed for years. In a letter sent to the Administration on August 26, 2011, the MHA had directed it to put all land acquisitions on hold.