CPM demands Rupees 40 lakh for affected farmers under Purushothapatnam Lift Irrigation Scheme

Rajamahendravaram: Communist Party of India (Marxist) district president T Arun has demanded Rs 40 lakh compensation for all the farmers who are going to lose their lands under Purushothapatnam Lift Irrigation Scheme (PLIS). Addressing press conference here on Monday, he said that government has decided to acquire 206.34 acres of land from 335 farmers of Purushothapatnam, Nagampalli, Vangalapudi and Chinna Kondepudi out of which 87 farmers has to give 72 acres from Nagampalli village.

He said that the revenue authorities have decided to pay Rs 28 lakh where the present value amounts to Rs 40 lakh and the administration is coming forward to pay only Rs 17 lakh to the farmers who have not come forward at the beginning to surrender their land.

However, he alleged that the revenue authorities with the help of police have started acquiring the land without the consent of the farmers from Saturday night and also using the power to arrest the farmers who tried to stop them. He also alleged that police did not allow CPM leaders to go to Nagampalli and Purushothapatnam villages on Sunday and were threatening the farmers.

Meanwhile, the sub-collector Vijaya Krishnan said that no arrests were made in any of the four villages and an award enquiry was done in all four villages. In the first phase, 234 farmers surrendered 132.80 acres and the government had paid them Rs. 25.48 crore.

Those who were reluctant to give their land in the beginning but now ready to handover would get Rs. 19 lakh per acre as per the LA Act”-she added.