Amaravati: Capital farmers stage Jaladeeksha

Amaravati: Protests by farmers in Amaravati reached the 75th day on Sunday. The farmers have been agitating for the last two-and-half months against the State government's decision to set up three capitals and shift the executive capital to Visakhapatnam. They have been demanding that Amaravati alone should remain as the capital of the State.

On the 75th day, the farmers staged a protest on River Krishna holding placards 'Save Amaravati'.

Farmers largely gathered at a protesting place at Undavalli village on Sunday. People from all walks of life have participated in these peaceful agitations.

On the other hand, the Amaravati JAC leaders have organised a cycle rally from Guntur to Thullur in which hundreds of the people participated. The JAC leaders reached Thullur from Guntur via Pedaparimi and other villages.

Women, children and aged people also took part in the protests in all 29 villages including Venkatayapalem, Velagapudi, Rayapudi, Mangalagiri, Tadepalli and other villages in Amaravati region.

Objecting to the proposal of the State government to distribute capital lands as house sites to the poor, Guntupalli Srinivas, a member of the JAC, said that when the lands were taken from the farmers, the government assured that it will construct capital city. Thereby the land prices would appreciate and the farmers will benefit from the development of the capital city. But, now the government was deliberately destroying the image of Amaravati, he criticised.

He said that if the government was really serious on distributing lands to the poor for house sites, then it could allot them in the fringe areas of Guntur town, instead of in Amaravati.

He explained that government took a decision to allot lands in Amaravati to the poor representing Pedakakani and Duggirala mandals. But, the poor could be given lands in Guntur town. Even in the Mangalagiri area also the government lands are available, he added.