Oustees seek Kishan Reddy's intervention

Hyderabad: A delegation of displaced farmers of the Mallanna Sagar Project (MSP) met Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy here on Sunday and sought his help in resolving their problems.

The farmers explained to the Minister how they were taken for a ride by the State government to part with their lands for the project without implementing the Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) package.

On top of it, they alleged that the local officials have been mounting pressure on them to give in writing that they agree to the construction of the MSP.

Later, speaking to The Hans India, Hanumantha, Reddy, a farmer, said officials of the Power utilities, Police, Irrigation, Revenue and contractors are acting in unison despite there is a court stay preventing the government to take their lands.

Another farmer pointed out that "the State High Court had handed over a prison sentence to the officials, including the local police official, for contempt of court."

The court had given a six week period for the officials to go for an appeal against its verdict to explore legal remedies. However, the same police and other officials are using the time given by the court to increase their pressure on farmers to agree to their terms and part with their lands, they alleged.

The local police officer, who was also sentenced to two months simple imprisonment and fine, is continuing his clandestine operations of calling people to the local police station on one pretext or other to force the farmers to sign that they have no objection to the construction of the MSP.

When reminded about a stay order of the high court, the police officer in question responding saying " You do whatever you can in the courts. I do whatever I have to do on the ground," indicating that the stay orders and prison sentences under contempt of court would not deter the police and the officials to use force and to extract consent from the farmers, they alleged.

Also, the farmers are threatened with slapping cases under PD Act, if they don't give up their demand for implementing the R&R package, they complained.

Several representations submitted to the higher-ups like the District Collector, SP, DGP and officials of the power utilities on the highhandedness of the officials have so far met with no success, the farmers said.