Hyderabad: BJP Malkajgiri MP Etala Rajendar strongly condemned the arrest of farmers and handcuffing them in Lagcharla, where Vikarabad collector Pratheek Jain was assaulted earlier this week.
Charging that the collector was sent to conduct the acquisition of 1,350 acres of land in Lagcherla, Polepally and Hakimpet villages to set up pharma companies, Rajendar said the farmers were harassed, internet services were disconnected before the collector’s visit, which irritated the farmers.
"When local MP D.K. Aruna tried to visit the troubled areas to console the farmers, she was denied entry. How was Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s brother Tirupati Reddy allowed to visit Lagcharla and other villages with a big convoy," he questioned.
Rajendar pointed out that the farmers would not protest because someone provoked them. “How can they leave agriculture works and come on to the streets? They will do it only when there is a big problem. As they were going to lose their agricultural lands, they came out with a lot of pain.”
The MP said the power changed the current government's priorities. "It was proposed to acquire 19,000 acres for Pharma City at Mucherla and the previous government had acquired 14,000 acres. The assigned land was acquired by paying a compensation of Rs 8 lakh per acre and the patta land by paying Rs 18 lakh. But, the same land is now fetching Rs 3 crore per acre. After the Congress came to power, everyone expected that the Congress would give the land back to the farmers. But, the arrogance of power had made Congress take over the land of the poor in the the Musi river belt, he claimed.
