VIJAYAWADA: Two farmers from Mandadam village in the Amaravati Capital Region have accused the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) of forcibly attempting to seize their farmland, bypassing legal procedures and violating international safeguards.
In a letter addressed to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, the farmers allege intimidation and unlawful demolition of property by government officials.
Pasupuleti Jamalaiah (74) and Kalapala Sarath Kumar, owners of 0.40 and 0.30 acres respectively in Survey No. 225/1 near Seed Access Road (E3), claim they never consented to the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) initiated for Amaravati’s development. Under LPS, farmers voluntarily surrender land in exchange for compensation and developed plots. These two farmers, however, opted out.
According to their submission, on September 5, APCRDA officials, accompanied by the commissioner and a team of workers, arrived at the site with bulldozers and dismantled fencing around their land.
The farmers were allegedly informed that the land had been transferred to GV Estates and Hotels for a commercial hotel project—without their consent or compensation. Video evidence of the incident was submitted to support their claims.
When the farmers approached Thullur police station on September 9 to file a complaint, they were reportedly denied the opportunity and instead advised to surrender their land for pooling. In response, they sent letters to 15 senior officials, including the Chief Secretary and Home Minister, alleging bias and lack of due process.
The farmers argue that APCRDA’s actions violate key provisions of the ADB’s 2009 Safeguard Policy Statement and the World Bank’s 2018 Environmental and Social Framework, both of which prohibit forced land acquisition and mandate fair, transparent, and voluntary participation.
“We will lose our land, jobs, and respect if you don’t help,” the farmers wrote in their appeal, urging international agencies to protect the rights of those who refused to join the pooling scheme.