Land acquisition for Reliance Data Centre and Steel Plant has turned into a major challenge for the government

Land acquisition for the proposed Reliance Data Centre at Bhogapuram and greenfield steel plant of Super Smelters Limited near Gurla turned into a major challenge for the government with the resistance from locals for those projects. As the government does not have its own lands in those places, it was forced to acquire private lands in those places. It has become a Herculean task for the officials to convince residents that both projects would create lot of economic activity and employment opportunities for youngsters of the region. Recently, the State government decided to allocate 855 acres of land in Vizianagaram district to enable Reliance Industries Limited to set up its Data Centre and Cable Landing Station with an estimated cost of ₹1 lakh crore.

Several farmers of Polipalli, Bhogapuram and others places asked the government to withdraw its proposal to acquire agricultural lands for the Project. A few farmers including Padala Srinivasa Rao, A. Prasada Rao and others asked the government to withdraw GO No. 30 which was issued for the land acquisition for the Data Centre. The same is the case with the green field steel plant. Super Smelters Limited Company proposed to invest around ₹8,000 crore for the project.

The residents who had vehemently opposed the project submitted several representations to the officials and staged protests recently near Vizianagaram Collector’s office.

Vizianagaram Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy and Joint Collector S. Sedhu Madhavan urged residents to extend their support to ensure the better future for thousands of people. They said that the government would ensure a decent compensation for them under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2013.

“A senior official said that the farmers who would surrender their lands would get decent financial package, houses, jobs for eligible family members. He hoped that the farmers would come forward very soon to cooperate with the government which had ensured the best package for the farmers who had given lands for the construction of the international airport at Bhogapuram of Vizianagaram district.