VIJAYAWADA: Farmers are seething with rage over the manner in which the state government is trying to ‘bull doze’ its way for acquiring lands for diversion of Eluru Canal near Vijayawda (Gannavaram) Airport.
“It is unfair for the government to have the proposal cleared by an expert committee. We have recently made a representation to district minister Kamineni Srinivasa Rao, who said he would call the farmers for a meeting to resolve the issue. But before that happens, the government gets the clearance for the proposal by an expert committee,” area farmer leader Y Narasimha Rao said.
The farmers are sore over the government for not listening to them and on the other hand insisting that they give up their land under land pooling scheme for diversion of the canal to facilitate extension of the Airport Runway from 7500 ft to 10,000 ft. As the canal flows close to the airport, it is coming in the way for the extension of the runway.
“We are meeting tomorrow to decide the future course of action. There is no question of giving up our lands for the diversion of the canal for a distance of 12 km through our villages,” Rao said. He said that though they had been requesting the government to consider an alternative plan which necessitates the acquisition of only about 200 acres, the government prefers diversion through their villages from Jakkulanekkalam to Athukuru via Purhsuthapatnam, Kesarapalli, Gannavaram, Marlapalem and Avutpalli. “The present proposal requires more than 450 acres,” he said.