Guntur: Dalit farmers pin hopes on Pawan Kalyan

Guntur: Jana Sena founder and Telugu cine hero Pawan Kalyan sought justice to the Dalit island farmers of Amaravati. YSR Congress president and Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded the government to do justice to the Dalit island farmers of Amaravati during his visit to Amaravati on January 19.
Now, Mr Pawan Kalyan has taken the turn and sought the government to pay package as promised in his twitter comments.

The Amaravati Dalit island farmers who lost hopes about getting good package are now hoping for a change in the government’s decision. Mr Kalyan said that according to the Green Tribunal norms, no construction would be allowed on the banks of rivers but there is no clarity about government taking permission for construction in the Amaravati.

He wanted the government to inform about the purpose of taking the lands to public, at least to the farmers concerned. He sought paying of promised compensation to Dalit farmers without bias and leaving their  lands for cultivation if the government is not wishing to construct any structures in the lands.

The islands are in Lingayapalem, Uddan-darayunipalem and Raya-pudi in which the Dalits are cultivating vegetables and horticulture crops in an extent of 3,000 acres. Nearly 1,600 Dalit families are dependent on cultivation in these lands and they would be deprived with the collection of lands without a proper package.

Dalit island farmer leader N. Suresh claimed that their lands are Jareebu lands which can be cultivated throughout the year and the government allotted them 50 years ago to Dalits.

He said that first the APRCRDA officials and the ministers agreed to offer Jareebu Land Pool-ing Scheme package of 1,000 yards of residential and 450 yards of commercial plot per acre but later it was changed to 500 yards residential and 100 yards commercial. He said the government  claiming their lands is unjustifiable.

He said that they are ready to give their lands against Jareebu package, annuity and allotting of returnable plots in their villages itself. The Dalit farmers of the islands said that Jagan highlighted their problem through his visit and now Pawan is further trying to bring their issue to the notice of the government and demanded that the TD government do justice to the Dalits by offering them Jareebu package. They said they should not be deprived of a good pac-kage for the fertile lands.