AP land pooling scheme: ‘Go back’ to land panel
Vexed farmers threw chairs on committee members
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-11-16 03:36 GMT
Guntur: A gram sabha organised by the Cabinet sub-committee on the new capital turned unruly at Rayupadui village of Tulluru mandal on Saturday following protests from farmers against acquiring land under land pooling scheme. The meeting was organised on Saturday evening in the village. The chief of AP Legislative Council, Nannapaneni Rajakumari went out from the meeting, vexed over the protest by farmers.
The meeting started at 6 pm with a speech by Cabinet sub-committee member and MLA, T. Sravankumar, but local farmers led by M. Seshagiri Rao, A. Gandhi, K. Satyanarayana and others objected to the presence of farmers supporting the TD from Mandadam, Abbarajupalem and other areas. They demanded that outsiders be sent back, but Mr Sravankumar tried to continue his speech. Angry farmers threw plastic chairs on the ground and squatted before the dais.
They raised slogans asking the committee to go back and announced that they would not give their lands for the new capital. Followers of the MLA and police tried to stop the agitators, but there was severe altercation and angry farmers tried to pull down tents to stop the meeting. They demanded that the MLA send back police, outsiders and his followers and gheraoed the MLA, who asked outsiders to go back.
Mr Sravankumar claimed that he was the only MLA roaming without gunmen and assured angry farmers about providing justice. He said that farmers seemed to be seeking media coverage, but it would not help as these protests would not be recorded by the sub-committee. He said he would bring farmers’ concerns to the notice of the government and appealed to the angry farmers to cooperate with him.
Later, the farmers joined the meeting and a majority of farmers announced that they are not ready to give up land for the new capital, but if the government agrees to fulfil their demands, then they would give their land.