VIJAYAWADA: Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan decided to send a team of representatives from his party to the state government requesting it to address the problems of farmers with lands in river islets of Krishna in the capital region and of the farmers in Moola Lanka village of Polavaram Project Area in West Godavari.
Addressing mediapersons, after farmers from Moola Lanka and capital region villages met him in Hyderabad on Wednesday, he said he would decide on his next course of action based on the response from the government. “Land acquisition for development is a necessary evil in civilisation. We have to ensure the impact on the people is minimised and how it is to be done is left to the wisdom of the rulers,” he said.
Pawan said he is aware of the difficulties of the farmers having lands in river islets, but not aware if the government has any problems in giving package to these farmers like others. “I will study the issue in more depth. They have invited me to visit their villages and see for myself their situation. I am thinking of paying a visit,” he said.
With regard to the Polavaram project, he said it getting declared national project is acceptable by all, but whenever such a big project is taken, the number of people, especially those villages near the project suffer most. Some are visible and known, some are not. “It is known that implementation of R&R packages and the displaced normally suffer,” he said. People from those villages have complained that earth being excavated from the project is being dumped in their fields which is hindering their livelihood, he said and assured to take the issue to the notice of the government.
He wanted the government and officials to ensure that for the short term gains of the contractors, people should not be made to suffer. Referring to the recent protest against a food processing plant in West Godavari, the Jana Sena chief said during land acquisition and project implementation, a particular community or a section of society largely suffers. “I fear, such a development will be harmful to the social fabric of the country. We should ensure it does not lead to caste conflicts, which does not bode well for the state,” he said.
Pawan made it clear that his only intention is to ensure solution for the problem instead of indulging in power struggle. “Many say I am soft spoken and my criticism of Chandrababu Naidu is soft like flower. But, my only intention is to see the solution to the problem. When everything fails, people's movements become necessary. I do not want that at this stage,” he said.