AP to acquire 2000 acre from Vizag farmers

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Monday gave a go-ahead for acquiring 2,109 acre land in addition to the existing land acquired for the 9,000-acre AP Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) at Visakhapatnam at the rate of Rs 5 lakh per acre compensation to the land losers.

Briefing the media, Anam Ramanarayan Reddy, minister for information and public relations, said the acquisition of land was required for the SEZ and the proposed Petroleum Chemicals and Petrochemicals Region (PCPIR) near Visakhaptanam.

"As farmers are said to have expressed their willingness to cede their land if the compensation was raised to Rs 5 lakh per acre, the government decided to pay the same," he said.

Other significant decisions include the new recruitment of 35,831 police personnel along with 1,733 ministerial staff for the police department, which will have an additional financial burden of Rs 882.88 crore in the first year, and providing Rs 100 crore to APGenco towards equity requirement for the proposed 1,600 mw thermal power project at Krishnapatnam.