The police in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district on Thursday registered cases against as many as 426 farmers from Amaravati, the capital region of Andhra Pradesh, who allegedly prevented the district revenue officials from conducting a survey of lands for distribution of house sites for the landless poor.
A police official from Mangalagiri (rural) police station said the farmers were booked on a complaint that they had prevented the officials from discharging their duties at Krishnayapalem village, one of the 29 villages falling under Amaravati capital region.
The farmers, who had been agitating for the last 65 days against proposed shifting of the administrative capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, turned furious when the revenue officials came to Krishnayapalem on Wednesday to identify the lands to be distributed among the landless for house sites.
The farmers shouted at the officials and blocked their entry into the village, forcing the officials to beat a retreat.
The farmers argued how the state government, which had acquired their lands under land pooling system for construction of capital city, would distribute the lands for weaker sections’ housing programme.
“We had given the lands for the construction of the capital city, not for allotment of house sites for weaker sections. We were allotted plots in return and we were hoping that the value of plots would go up once the capital comes up here. Now, if the lands are given for house sites for the poor, what will happen to our plots?” K Anil, a farmer from Krishnayapalem said.
A woman farmer said they were not afraid of facing cases and would continue their agitation till the government took back its decision to create three capitals in the name of decentralization of administration.
Telugu Desam Party president and leader of the opposition in the Assembly N Chandrababu Naidu strongly condemned the cases against the farmers. He said the government should acquire lands for distribution of house sites to the poor but should not disturb the lands earmarked for capital.
Meanwhile, ruling YSR Congress Party MLA and AP industrial infrastructure corporation chairperson R K Roja faced protests in Amaravati when she went there to participate in a meeting at SRM University at Inovolu. Women staged a dharna outside the university entrance raising slogans against three capitals’ plan.
With the women surrounding her car, police moved her out of the place in a vehicle belonging to the university. Another group of farmers obstructed her vehicle at Pedaparimi village. Police pushed the protesters away and escorted Roja out of the place. tags