ELURU: CPM politburo member Brinda Karat said she would raise the the Tundurru Aqua Mega food park issue at the national level and in Parliament.
She visited Kamsali Bethapudi village of Bhimavaram rural mandal in West Godavari district on Thursday and addressed a public meeting at the Old Bus Stand area in Bhimavaram town in the evening. Speaking on the occasion, she charged Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu with “oppressing villagers” who were against the setting up of the Mega Aqua Food Park in Tundurru.
Accusing the Chandrababu Naidu government of ruling the state with bullets, lathis and goons, she said the management of the Mega Food Park had purchased the land on the pretext of setting up fish tanks, but cheated the villagers by setting up the food park. She demanded that the government register cases against the management.
Accusing Naidu of backing the management and using the police to oppress the people, she asked how the government intended to supply one lakh litres of water a day to the park, when the farmers were not getting enough water to irrigate their crops.
Praising the fighting spirit of the people, she said she had met the leaders of the agitation, who have been kept in Kamsali Bethapudi and Tanuku jails. She said no company can conduct its activities without support from the people.
She said that the government had violated several existing laws to facilitate the setting up of Mega Food Park and added that no Gram Sabha had approved the setting up of the park.
“When the villagers have not given their consent, how can the management go ahead with the construction work?” she asked.
Brinda Karat further said that the Food Park will release 50,000 litres of effluents into Gonteru Drain, which is the major water source for the region. She pointed out that Chandrababu Naidu backed off from laying a stone for the Food Park only because of the people’s agitation.
“The TDP-BJP Government got the votes of these villages. Now, it is imposing Section 144 to quell protests. The CPM will back the people’s agitation,” she said.
CPM district secretary B Balaram presided over the meeting. CPI State Committee member Durgabhavani, District Congress Committee President Rafiullah Baig, YSRCP MLC Meka Seshu Babu, BSP district president Gannabattula Satyanarayana, New Democracy leader U Venkateswara Rao, POW leader M Lakshi and MCPIU leader S Nagaraju were also present.