Telangana govt pays record payout for greenfield expressway for Future City

Hyderabad: With the land prices in Telangana on an upward trajectory, especially in the Core Urban Region (CURE), the state govt has been forced to pay higher compensation to farmers for acquiring their land for various projects.

The govt had paid a record Rs 1.24 crore per acre compensation to some farmers in Kongara Khurd and Kongara Kalan villages, abutting the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near the Rangareddy district collectorate, official sources said. The state was compelled to pay higher compensation for a smooth land acquisition process for the greenfield expressway, which is the crucial link to Future City.

“The market rate is between Rs 8 crore and Rs 10 crore per acre in Kongara Kalan and Kongara Khurd, abutting the ORR. Govt decided to pay Rs 1.24 crore per acre after negotiating with the farmers. As many as 15 acres were taken over in these two areas,” a senior Rangareddy district administration official told TOI.

In these areas, the farmers were given between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 98 lakh per acre, depending on the location, for acquiring their land for the expressway. “In other places, govt is paying about Rs 15 lakh per acre,” the officials said.

The state govt has proposed a 300-feet greenfield expressway from Raviryal ORR to Meerkhanpet and Meerkhanpet to Amangal in two phases at a cost of about Rs 4,600 crore. While 447 acres were acquired for Phase I, another 558 acres were being acquired for Phase II of the expressway. The expressway passes through Maheshwaram, Ibrahimpatnam, Kandukur, Kadthal and Amangal mandals. Of the nearly 1,500 acres, nearly 300 acres are forest land and another 200 acres are Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) land.

Officials said the state govt would spend about Rs 250 crore towards cash compensation for the greenfield expressway. The sources said govt was also worried about the increasing compensation as other farmers might also seek higher compensation for their land. At the same time, govt wants smooth land acquisition without any legal glitches.

Incidentally, the state came up with a GO last month on extending transferable development rights (TDR) for taking over properties in urban areas, including houses for the Musi riverfront development project, widening roads, skyways and other public purposes in the three municipal corporations. TDRs were being issued for land acquisition in urban areas, not for agricultural land parcels. Govt, which is under financial stress, has asked district authorities to negotiate with farmers, wherever possible.

For assigned land, govt was taking over properties under land pooling schemes, that too for industrial purpose, where it is offering developed plots to the farmers in lieu of their land. It has recently set up land acquisition units for speedy completion of acquisition for Hyderabad Green Pharma City.