Houses for poor: TD, Amaravati farmers stage over R5 Zone lands

Vijayawada: Tension prevailed at Thullur in Amaravati on Wednesday following a protest by pro-Amaravati farmers against the state government allotting house sites for the poor in the R5 Zone.

Former MLA and Guntur Telugu Desam president Tenali Sravan called for the 48-hour Deeksha at Thullur against the government’s housing plan for the poor in the R5 Zone. The protest had the backing of the Amaravati farmers and other organisations.

The ruling YSR Congress supporters have also decided to hold a programme in support of the R5 Zone housing scheme for the poor. The police tried to avoid a law and order problem and imposed curbs in the area under Section 144 and Police Act 30. In defiance,  the TD leaders and farmers gathered in Thullur. The police arrested them after they refused to disperse.

The police seized the protest camp of Amaravati farmers and appealed to the farmers not to stage any protests there in view of the curbs.

TD leaders including Sravan Kumar aired slogans against the R5 Zone and Jagan government and alleged that the CM Jagan was trying to spoil the looks of Amaravati.

Jai Bheem Bharat party president Jada Sravan also came to Thullur to extend the party’s support to the farmers.

As the situation turned tense, the police arrested Tenali Sravan, Jada Sravan, some other leaders and farmers and detained them at the police station.

Women farmers entered into heated arguments with the police and refused to leave the protest camp. The police took them too into custody placed several other TD leaders under house arrest.