Farmers serve ultimatum to govt
Farmers JAC leaders showing the photos of farmers on whom the police allegedly used third degree, at a press conference in Hanumakonda on Friday
Warangal: Notwithstanding the assurance given by the Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao and the other TRS MLAs, the row over 'land pooling' not appears to be dying down with the farmers on Friday serving an ultimatum that they will go all out against the State government until it repeals GO MS No. 80A.
Farmers' joint action committee (JAC) chairman Desineni Hanumantha Rao who spoke to media persons, asserted that they would announce their future course of action if the government fails to repeal the controversial GO that entails the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) acquiring nearly 22,000 acres in 27 villages under the Land Pooling scheme.
"We are giving one week time for the government to withdraw the GO or else we will get down to protests, opposing the land pooling. The farmers are not ready to give their fertile land to the KUDA which has plans to do real estate business," Desineni said. To start with, the farmers will stop supplying milk and vegetables to the people's representatives and police, he said.
JAC Warangal district convener Budde Peddanna criticised the government for not heeding to their protests for the last few months. "When farmers stopped the land survey by private persons, the police foisted false cases at the behest of ruling TRS leaders. When asked about it, Wardhannapet MLA Aroori Ramesh tried to play down the issue," Peddanna said. How the MLAs have got hold of hundreds of acres in the name of doing service to the people, he asked.
JAC Jangaon district convener Bommineni Ravinder Reddy said that nearly one lakh farmers in the erstwhile Warangal district will lose their livelihood if the KUDA goes ahead with the land pooling. He found fault with the MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao for his support to the land pooling scheme.
JAC Hanumakonda district convener Solti Kiran Goud who demanded the government to de-notify the GO said that farmers will not sit silently if the farmers are subjected to third degree treatment by the police like in Perumandlagudem.
It may be recalled here that the KUDA which proposed to acquire land in Warangal, Hanumakonda and Jangaon districts under land pooling scheme like in Hyderabad issued a notification to elicit the opinion of the farmers on May 30. Following protests, KUDA put off the process temporarily on May 11.
Although the Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao had on May 31 announced that the government had decided to cancel the land pooling process, the GO 80A is yet to be scrapped officially. Against this backdrop, farmers have decided to take to the streets again from June 17. Munigala Yakub, Niranjan and Srinivas were among others present.