ANANTAPUR: Land acquisition by the officials led to tension as farmers obstructed the move and squatted on the road raising slogans against the government at Motumarla village near Dharmvaram on Wednesday.
A large number of revenue and police officials went to Motumarla village to acquire 210 acres of agriculture land located on Dharmavaram-Puttaparthi road for construction of houses. The government announced Rs 5 lakh compensation per acre. However, the farmers refused to part with their lands stating that Rs 5 lakh compensation is too low.
The farmers argued that they had invested a huge amount of money to sink borewells and have been cultivating the lands for several years now. Some of the farmers approached the court against land acquisition and the court issued interim orders directing the government to pay reasonable compensation before acquiring the lands.
Disregarding the court orders, the officials started destroying horticulture crop in the land on Wednesday.
Furious over this, a large number of farmers resisted the attempts of officials. They squatted on the road and raised slogans against the government. The farmers had heated arguments with the police and revenue officials.
A posse of police personnel, led by DSP Venkata Ramana, dragged the farmers, including some women. In the melee, some farmers fainted. The police arrested the agitating farmers and CPM leader Obulelsu, who went there to extend solidarity to the farmers. Tense situation prevailed at the fields for some time.
The farmers were seen crying as their horticulture crops being uprooted with JCBs.
“We are buying water to wet the crops. We are dependent on the lands for our livelihood. The government is forcibly taking our lands without our consent,” the farmers deplored. The farmers said that the actual market value is Rs 40 lakh per acre at Motumarla and Tumparti villages. But the government is offering a meagre Rs 5 lakh, they lamented.
The farmers said, ‘We have informed the matter to Dharmavaram MLA V Suri but he made it clear that he cannot help us.” CPM State secretary P Madhu wrote a letter to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu urging him to acquire the barren lands at Regatipalli but he did not respond positively. No justice was done to them, the farmers regretted.