JOIN THE LCW
COMMUNITY

Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, quarterly analytics report, curated expert talks, merchandise and much more. Support our work!

Sign up today

Adani Abandons Bhavanapadu Port Deal in Andhra Pradesh Citing Land Acquisition Delays

Reported by

Furkan Khan

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

June 18, 2020

July 13, 2023

Edited on

June 18, 2020

State

Andhra Pradesh

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

8640

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

830

ha

Starting Year

2015

Location of Conflict

Vajrapukotturu

Devunaltada, Marripadu and Bhavanapadu villages

Srikakulam

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Port

Land Conflict Summary

The plan to develop the ports of Bhavanapadu and Machilipatnam are part of the Central governments Sagarmala scheme for its agenda of portled economic development. In 2015, the Andhra Pradesh government issued a land acquisition ordinance by amending the LARR Act, 2013, to acquire land for various projects, including 4,500 acres for the Bhavanapadu port. However, the notification to acquire land for the project was backdated to August 28, 2015, instead of September 12, 2015, before the expiry of the ordinance on August 31. In the ordinance, the requirement to obtain consent of 70 per cent of the affected population and to conduct a social impact assessment were removed. The farmers and fisherfolk in the area opposed the land acquisition for the project. Speaking in a public meeting, a YSR Congress leader said that "fisherfolk cannot live in other places once their lives were detached from the sea, the leader said. The government had hurriedly issued the notification just a few days before the ordinance lapsed. It is nothing but backstabbing people. We will expose the governments ill motives for sure, she added. The leaders from YSR Congress asked the affected people to submit petitions from each family at the Collectors Grievance Cell, opposing the sea port. Due to the resistance, the land requirement for the port was reduced to 2,500 acres in 2016. The government claimed that this will not infringe into any of the villages and that the port will be built along the shore line. In January 2018, Adani Ports was selected as the developer after successfully bidding for the port. In October that year, the government stated in a new proposal that it will need 2,321 acres for the port to be constructed by Adani 578 acres in Devunaltada, 1,439 acres in Marripadu and 304 acres in Bhavanapadu villages. Rolling back on the earlier statement that the port will not infringe any village, the new proposal stated that the people of Devunaltada and Marripadu villages would be required to completely vacate their villages. The government in return promised monetary compensation and special package to the farmers who would give up their land. It has proposed a colony for all the displaced families, including the landless poor. A suitable plot of land is being identified in the mandal itself to enable the villagers to reside near the coast. A fishing jetty is also being planned for the benefit of the villagers. According to the local administration, "the fisherfolk and local community has positively responded to the proposed package". In January 2019, the government announced that it would provide compensation to 2,300 families. In April that year, it was reported that the district administration is in the process of conducting a comprehensive survey of the land, structures and horticulture crops in the proposed villages. In April 2020, Adani Ports abandoned the deal and refused to "sign the concession agreement, citing issues like land acquisition for over a year". However, the government is now planning to restructure the port based on the Landlord model, in which the state will handle infrastructure and land acquisition for the port and a private entity will run the cargo.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

3725

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 2(2)(b)(ii) [In the case of land acquisition for public private partnership projects, the prior consent of atleast 70% of the affected families has to be obtained. The process of obtaining consent shall be carried out along with the Social Impact Assessment]; Chapter II [Provisions relating to Social Impact Assessment and determination of public purpose]; Section 41 [Prior consent of the Gram Sabha is required for the acquisition of land in Scheduled Areas]
Andhra Pradesh Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Rules, 2014
Clause 3 [Infrastructure projects including projects under public-private partnerships shall be exempted from the requirement of obtaining the consent of affected families]; Section 10A [Infrastructure projects including projects under public-private partnerships shall be exempted from the requirement of Social Impact Assessment]
Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Section 4(i) [The Gram Sabha shall be consulted before acquiring land in Scheduled Areas for development projects]
Government of Andhra Pradesh Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, 2005
Clause 6-A(3.3) [The SIA report shall be made available to all the project affected families through a public hearing in the affected area]; Clause 7.2 [A Grievance Redressal Cell shall be constituted to hear the grievances of the project affected families]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Refusal of compensation

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Govt. of the State of Andhra Pradesh

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (INCAP)

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, YSR Congress, Indian National Congress

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The plan to develop the ports of Bhavanapadu and Machilipatnam are part of the Central governments Sagarmala scheme for its agenda of portled economic development. In 2015, the Andhra Pradesh government issued a land acquisition ordinance by amending the LARR Act, 2013, to acquire land for various projects, including 4,500 acres for the Bhavanapadu port. However, the notification to acquire land for the project was backdated to August 28, 2015, instead of September 12, 2015, before the expiry of the ordinance on August 31. In the ordinance, the requirement to obtain consent of 70 per cent of the affected population and to conduct a social impact assessment were removed. The farmers and fisherfolk in the area opposed the land acquisition for the project. Speaking in a public meeting, a YSR Congress leader said that "fisherfolk cannot live in other places once their lives were detached from the sea, the leader said. The government had hurriedly issued the notification just a few days before the ordinance lapsed. It is nothing but backstabbing people. We will expose the governments ill motives for sure, she added. The leaders from YSR Congress asked the affected people to submit petitions from each family at the Collectors Grievance Cell, opposing the sea port. Due to the resistance, the land requirement for the port was reduced to 2,500 acres in 2016. The government claimed that this will not infringe into any of the villages and that the port will be built along the shore line. In January 2018, Adani Ports was selected as the developer after successfully bidding for the port. In October that year, the government stated in a new proposal that it will need 2,321 acres for the port to be constructed by Adani 578 acres in Devunaltada, 1,439 acres in Marripadu and 304 acres in Bhavanapadu villages. Rolling back on the earlier statement that the port will not infringe any village, the new proposal stated that the people of Devunaltada and Marripadu villages would be required to completely vacate their villages. The government in return promised monetary compensation and special package to the farmers who would give up their land. It has proposed a colony for all the displaced families, including the landless poor. A suitable plot of land is being identified in the mandal itself to enable the villagers to reside near the coast. A fishing jetty is also being planned for the benefit of the villagers. According to the local administration, "the fisherfolk and local community has positively responded to the proposed package". In January 2019, the government announced that it would provide compensation to 2,300 families. In April that year, it was reported that the district administration is in the process of conducting a comprehensive survey of the land, structures and horticulture crops in the proposed villages. In April 2020, Adani Ports abandoned the deal and refused to "sign the concession agreement, citing issues like land acquisition for over a year". However, the government is now planning to restructure the port based on the Landlord model, in which the state will handle infrastructure and land acquisition for the port and a private entity will run the cargo.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

3725

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 2(2)(b)(ii) [In the case of land acquisition for public private partnership projects, the prior consent of atleast 70% of the affected families has to be obtained. The process of obtaining consent shall be carried out along with the Social Impact Assessment]; Chapter II [Provisions relating to Social Impact Assessment and determination of public purpose]; Section 41 [Prior consent of the Gram Sabha is required for the acquisition of land in Scheduled Areas]
Andhra Pradesh Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Rules, 2014
Clause 3 [Infrastructure projects including projects under public-private partnerships shall be exempted from the requirement of obtaining the consent of affected families]; Section 10A [Infrastructure projects including projects under public-private partnerships shall be exempted from the requirement of Social Impact Assessment]
Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Section 4(i) [The Gram Sabha shall be consulted before acquiring land in Scheduled Areas for development projects]
Government of Andhra Pradesh Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, 2005
Clause 6-A(3.3) [The SIA report shall be made available to all the project affected families through a public hearing in the affected area]; Clause 7.2 [A Grievance Redressal Cell shall be constituted to hear the grievances of the project affected families]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

No

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

No

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Refusal of compensation

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Govt. of the State of Andhra Pradesh

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (INCAP)

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, YSR Congress, Indian National Congress

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Andhra Pradesh

cross
Not a member yet?
Sign up now