Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Polit Bureau member Kalava Srinivasulu on Saturday questioned the State government’s policy of pooling 15,000 acres of lands for the solar power project to be set up by the Adani Group in Rayadurg mandal of Anantapur district.
“The State government is not standing as guarantor for the payment of lease amount,” Mr. Srinivasulu said while addressing the media here on Saturday.
Showing documents, including a G.O. dated September 13, that purportedly did not say anything about the guarantee for the farmers on the annual lease rental of ₹30,000 from the developer, Mr. Srinivasulu said, “It is unfortunate that the State government has not involved the Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited, specially floated for the purpose as a joint venture with the Centre, but handed over the responsibility to the NREDCAP, a relatively small organisation with no experience in such land pooling and grounding of projects of this magnitude.”
Lepakshi instance
“Like in the case of the Lepakshi Knowledge Hub, if the developer does not set up the unit and does not pay the lease amount annually, the farmers will be left to fend for themselves, and take legal recourse with no guarantee coming from the State government,” he said.
“There is a possibility of the developer raising large sums as loans by mortgaging the lands here and not setting up the unit, against which the State must provide guarantee to the farmers,” the TDP leader said.
According to the figures made available during the grama sabhas, 6,660 acres are proposed to be leased out in D. Hirehal, 1,117 acres in Rayadurg, 2,711 acres in Kanekal, and 1,343 acres in Bommanahal mandals. It is said that 485 farmers have given their consent after the grama sabhas in 14 villages involving 3,713 acres, while the entire identified land belongs to 2,306 farmers.
