SIDDIPET: After a three-and-a-half-hour long meeting with the chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at his Erravalli farmhouse, Vemulaghat farmers, who have been on a hunger strike for the last 412 days demanding fair compensation for their lands, to be submerged under the Mallanna Sagar project, made it clear that they would not call off their stir, until they get fair compensation.
Much to the chagrin of the silver-tongued Rao, the agitating ryots politely refused to have lunch, provided to them at the farmhouse. They even declined to avail the transportation facility provided for them from their village to farmhouse. Instead, they preferred come on their own vehicles.
After the failure of negotiations by district administration and local TRS leaders including irrigation minister T Harish Rao, the chief minister, on Saturday, tried to convince the farmers to accept the government’s offer, during his interaction with them at his farmhouse. But the farmers, who want compensation as per the Right to Fair Compensation in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act - 2013, stuck to their guns.
Earlier, according to sources, some of the farmers told the chief minister that the government was offering Rs 12 lakh per acre for neighbouring Mulugu mandal farmers for the construction of Konda Pochamma reservoir. “As our lands are also fertile wherein we cultivate two crops a year, please give us Rs 20 per acre as compensation,” the ryots urged Rao.
The chief minister told them that Mulugu mandal lands come under HMDA limits. Hence, the government offered Rs 12 lakh. But, it is not possible to provide similar price for Vemulaghat lands. Later, Rao directed the officials to set up a committee to determine the lands which cultivate two crops. Hayathuddin, a farmer, later said they won't accept the government offer and will continue the protest.