Andhra Pradesh Minister for MSME and NRI Affairs Kondapalli Srinivas, Collector S. Ramsundar Reddy and other senior officials promised that the government would do justice to the farmers who had surrendered their lands for the construction of the international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district.

The public representatives and officials are keen to please the farmers ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the airport on August 1, 2026. Although the government has settled the compensation and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package for the majority of the farmers, a few of them are yet to get the benefits.

According to sources, the government initially promised to pay ₹48 lakh an acre to the farmers who had surrendered their lands for the construction of the approach road from National Highway-16 to the airport. However, they insisted on payment of up to ₹1 crore as per the market rates. The GMR group, which is in a hurry to complete the works, had reportedly shown interest in settling their issues but later backtracked.

As the farmers had not taken the compensation, the government reportedly deposited the amount with the tribunal in Visakhapatnam and asked them to collect it through court procedure. Recently, the farmers of Ravivalasa, Gudepuvalasa and Baireddipalem staged a protest, saying they feared they would not get the compensation if it was not paid before the inauguration of the airport. Maradapalem villagers sought jobs for their children as promised during the land acquisition carried out between 2016 and 2026.

In the backdrop of agitations and frequent representations over the issues, the Minister and senior officials promised the farmers’ families that the compensation would be paid through court procedure within a few months and that there was no need to worry about the amount. Mr. Srinivas said the GMR group had been asked to provide jobs for eligible youngsters, since the promise was made during land acquisition.

Meanwhile, the government is taking steps on a war footing for the completion of the approach road and other pending works, as only six days are left for the Prime Minister’s visit. Public representatives of North Andhra districts held a review meeting in Bhogapuram on Sunday (July 26, 2026) and asked the officials to meet the deadlines set by the government.