VIJAYAWADA: A day after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy hinted at making Amaravati the legislative capital, with Visakhapatnam as the executive capital and Kurnool the legislative capital, protests erupted in several villages with farmers staging rasta rokos and sit-in protests on Wednesday, opposing the idea of decentralised administration.
The farmers gave a call for bandh on Thursday. Vanta-Varpu protests and relay hunger strikes in front of all village secretariats and government offices would be organised in 29 villages of the capital region.Farmers staged protests at Velagapudi, Rayapudi, Kistayapalem, Mandadam, Venkatayapalem and other junctions leading to the Secretariat and blocked traffic on Wednesday morning hours. Expressing anger on the government, farmers raised slogans against Jagan and his party. They rued that his decision will leave the future of thousands of farmers, who gave their land for the capital, in quandary.
“Believing that our future generations will reap benefits of the capital, we donated thousands of acres of fertile land for Amaravati. But the government hinted at shifting Secretariat and the High Court, creating doubts on the future of Amaravati. He should immediately withdraw his statement and resume construction works in the capital,” the farmers demanded.
Holding pesticide bottles, Thullur farmers even threatened to commit suicide, if the Chief Minister did not go back on its remark. “Until he (Jagan) promises that Secretariat and the High Court will not be shifted to other places, we won’t call off our protests. We are going to block all roads leading to Secretariat and the Chief Minister’s residence in Tadepalli,” Thullur farmers threatened.