Farmers not keen on land pooling

First Major hurdle for Vijayawada as AP capital

• Agriculturists demand at least Rs 2 crore an acre
• Refuse to part with lands for expansion of Gannavaram airport
• Devineni, Prathipati deputed to hold talks with landowners

Vijayawada: Farmers are putting up stiff resistance to the efforts by the Andhra Pradesh government to acquire land for the new capital and developing existing Gannavaram airport through land pooling. The land pooling scheme envisages returning 40 per cent of acquired land to the landowner and the government retaining 60 per cent of it after the development.

As the officials have now realised that the farmers are not convinced about the scheme, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has deputed Minister for Major Irrigation Devineni Umamamaheswara Rao and Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao to hold talks with the farmers.

Some local leaders have already tried in vain to persuade farmers in Gannavaram to part with their land under the land pooling scheme for the expansion of Gannavaram airport. The farmers have reportedly demanded Rs 2 crore per acre towards compensation. Apart from it, the farmers also have outrightly rejected the land pooling scheme. Now with the State government deciding to build capital around Vijayawada, land prices have gone sky-high.

The landowners quote between Rs 1 crore and Rs 12 core an acre in Gannavaram. Against this background, the farmers are demanding that they be paid at least Rs 2 crore an acre. As much as 564 acres of land is required for the expansion of Gannavaram airport. As the government plans to make it international airport by providing international connectivity to the capital, the government may require a few more thousands of acres. The government is facing stiff resistance to the proposal to acquire houses too in Kesarapalli, Ajjampudi and Davajigudem villages, apart from agriculture land.

In case the government needs to take over their houses too, the farmers are demanding alternative land or constructed houses. Gannavaram MLA Vamasi Mohan held talks with the landowners recently but his efforts proved futile.

Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture Pullarao is learnt to have held talks with some of the farmers from Mangalagiri, Tadikonda, Tulluru, Mandadam and Venkatayapalem. The farmers here too have rejected the government's proposal of 40:60 ratio and have reportedly asked the Minister to pay at least 50 per cent of the open market price. The lands are fertile in these places and commercial crops are raised. The open market price for land in these places range between Rs 10 crore and Rs 12 crore an acre.