Singareni-hit get HC relief
The Hyderabad High Court has granted relief to the displaced/affected families of Open Cast Mining Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) at Yellendu in Kothagudem district, by directing the authorities to take steps to rehabilitate the affected families.
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, while allowing the petitions by I. Dileep Kumar and 26 others, observed that the affected families of the open cast mining could not be allowed to linger indefinitely without any resolution leaving them at the mercy of the respondents.
The petitioners urged the court to declare the action of the authorities in directing them to vacate the houses in which they were residing and partially damaging them without paying resettlement and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package including house plots jobs under the rules as illegal.
They petitioned the court to direct the authorities to give (R&R) as per the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
According to the petitioners, 1,445 were declared as project affected families after a survey conducted in 2008 and (R&R) package was promised to them and their names were also found in the Socio Economic Survey report published; but they were not given either subsistence grant of `1,44,500 under various heads as contemplated under GO Ms No. 68 dt. April 8, , 2005, or a house plot promised therein.
The petition said that though some of the affected families shifted to other areas, they could not shift from their existing houses because of the failure of the respondents to provide R&R package and also they have stayed back since they have nowhere to go.
After hearing the rival contentions, the judge faulted the authorities for not extending the R&R package to the petitioners and trying to vacate them by using police force.
Referring to the admission of the SCCL that it had prepared to provide alternative accommodation to the petitioners by allotting the company employees’ quarters situated at Yellandu Town, the judge directed that the SCCL shall make available transit accommodation at its employees' quarters with all required amenities within two weeks.