Andhra: Moves afoot to kill Vanpic MoU

HYDERABAD/GUNTUR: The state government is understood to be contemplating cancelation of the MoU with the promoters of the Vodarevu and Nizampatnam Port Industrial Corridor (VANPIC) and resume the land allotted to it.Officials are said to be gearing up to obtain legal opinion on the move, and are likely to issue notices to the project management over the next couple of weeks.Giving credence to these moves, rural development minister D Manikya Varaprasad shot off a letter to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy Thursday, urging him to cancel the orders issued by the state government immediately.He wanted the government to resume the land as the promoters have failed to use the land for the mandated purpose within the prescribed time period.“Fertile and cultivable lands should not be acquired for setting up special economic zones and industrial corridors, but VANPIC promoters violated the Land Acquisition Act and acquired such lands from farmers by threatening them,” alleged the minister, who hails from Guntur district where the project is to be partly located.He felt that the entire land acquisition was characterised by deliberate violation of norms involving crores of public money.About 23,000 acres were acquired from farmers in Prakasam and Guntur districts for the project. While a major chunk was acquired by the government’s revenue department and then handed over to VANPIC, the promoters purchased the rest directly from farmers.If all goes well, the government might even return the land to the oustees who have been demanding restoration of their land as per the Land Acquisition Act with the failure of VANPIC promoters to use the land for the prescribed purpose.Official sources said the government has been contemplating cancellation of the VANPIC MoU for a year but did not pursue it seriously so far.“But with the arrest of Vanpic promoter Nimmagadda Prasad, we have to take it up seriously. Files pertaining to this are moving quickly, clearly explaining the intentions of the powers that be. Hence, it won’t be long before we cancel the MoU. However, any decision will be taken only after obtaining legal opinion,” a senior official said.The VANPIC project office at Vodarevu was closed on Wednesday following the arrest of Prasad.Senior revenue officials in Guntur said the office staff were asked not to come to office for a couple of days or until further information. Government officials hinted that there will be a major development on the VANPIC project in the next few weeks.

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