Andhra Pradesh: Minister eyeing granite in our land, allege Dalits

GUNTUR: There’s a fight going on for land due to the presence of “black pearl granite” reserves. The 416 acres of land  in Yadavalli of Chilakalu-ripeta of Guntur district became the center of controversy due to the cancellation of land pattas. The Dalit beneficiaries are accusing minister P. Pulla Rao of trying to grab their land for granite quarrying and that he had  pressurised officials to cancel their land pattas.

They are claiming that after “black pearl granite” was found in their lands, the minister conducted a private survey and  was trying to grab their lands in the name of his benamis. The Dalits spoke about the allotment of 416.50 acres of land  to 250 Dalit beneficiaries on 19 January 1975 by the then-Guntur district collector, K Chandraiah and distribution by the then-social welfare minister, L Lakshmana Dasu, in the survey number 381 of Yadavalli.

Later, they formed the Yadavalli Weaker Section Land Colonisation Society in 1976 and continued cultivation. In addition, the Arunodaya Somepalli Sambaiah lift irrigation with Rs 3.20 crore funds was constructed to supply irrigation water to the lands. Society vice-president, T. Venkat Rao and others alleged that despite continued cultivation of paddy and other crops on their lands for forty years, Mr Pulla Rao pressurising them to cancel the society and extend the land allotments, claiming there was no cultivation activity on the lands.

They alleged that the minister conducted a private survey which revealed the presence of Rs. 2,000 crore worth of “black pearl granite” reserves and the administration cancelled their land  pattas in February 2015. They mentioned that at least 6 meters should be dug to get granite, but here valuable “black pearl granite” would be available at 4 meters depth, so the minister, using his power, cancelled pattas as well as  their society. They said that 250 families were dependent on these lands, so they lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission and resolved to continue their agitation to get back their lands. Meanwhile, minister Mr Pulla Rao refuted all the allegations and claimed that he has no plans  to enter the granite business.