Annuity for farmers in Andhra Pradesh: HC files PIL to revoke GO 286

The regulation that the State government must pay the annuity to the farmers of Amaravati, who donated their lands for the State capital, is being challenged in a public interest lawsuit that was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

In his PIL, Paka Satyanarayana, the head of the SC, ST, and BC United Front North Andhra districts, pleaded with the court to annul GO 286—which was issued on May 5, 2023, and allocated Rs 286 crore.

The division bench of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice R Raghunandan Rao heard the plea on Wednesday. Advocate VR Reddy Kovuri, representing the petitioner, said that the then-government executed the AP Capital City Land Pooling Scheme (Formulation and Implementation) Rules, 2015 and the AP Land Development Rules, 2017, without their being submitted to or approved by the Legislative Assembly.

“Even though these regulations were designed to safeguard the concerns of the farmers in Amaravati, they are void because they lack legal authority,” he contended, adding that since the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014 does not include a provision for an annuity to farmers, the State is not obligated to provide them with one. Additionally, he emphasized that the previous administration had neglected to set aside 5% of land for the impoverished.

The Capital Region was chosen without the Act’s requirements being put into practice. In this respect, a gazette notice was published, he insisted.

The division bench intervened at that time, pointing out that the State government had been explicit in protecting farmers’ interests when it proposed a new Act abolishing the CRDA Act.

The petitioner’s attorney clarified that the Legislative Assembly later withdrew that Act. The case hearing was postponed for two weeks after the court questioned him about how the Act’s withdrawal would affect the CRDA Act and Rules.

“The CRDA Act makes no provisions for annuities to farmers.”

The petitioner’s attorney, VR Reddy Kovuri, claimed that because the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 does not include a provision for farmers to receive annuities, the State is not obligated to do so. Additionally, he made note of the previous administration’s failure to set aside 5% of land for the impoverished.