SIDDIPET: Oustees protesting near the Gouravelli project at Gudatipally village under Akkannapet mandal refused to budge and continued with their agitation, which began on Thursday, demanding that the government pay them the compensation due to them before carrying out developmental works, as mandated by a court order.
Despite the dipping mercury levels, the agitators stay firm at the protest site, forcing the police to perform their duties in shifts. With the help of a few donors, the demonstrators also organised a Vantu-Varpu (cooking in the open) programme.
When the contractor, on the orders from officials, dug up the road from Gudatipally village to Husnabad on Thursday, the farmers levelled the road, allowing the flow of vehicular traffic. Despite the cops resorting to lathicharge against the protestors, including women farmers, and booking 13 ryots for reportedly attacking cops, the oustees refuse to stop the agitation.
Sources say several political parties, public associations and oustees from the Mallannasagar Reservoir have supported the agitations. In addition to the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) packages, the authorities should also provide them with double-bedroom houses before carrying out any developmental works in the village, they demand.
Eatala expresses solidarity
BJP leader and Huzurabad MLA Eatala Rajender, on Saturday, expressed solidarity with the farmers who have been protesting for the past three days. He took part in a programme in support of the agitating farmers for a brief period.
Addressing the crowd there, Rajender said that the State government should be sympathetic to the plight of farmers, who have lost everything, and should not be subjected to attacks by the police.
He criticised the TRS led-government for attacking women farmers with sticks even as they demand what is due to them. He said that the government had decided to pay compensation of Rs 6.90 lakh per acre when the plots of land were acquired from the farmers seven years ago.
He also pointed out that many people are yet to receive the compensation promised to them. He said the price of the land has increased to Rs 20 lakh per acre, and questioned the government if any person can still buy plots at the earlier price.
He hit out at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao saying that while the farmers are protesting, Rao is sleeping peacefully at his farmhouse and Pragathi Bhavan. He said the end of the CM is approaching and TRS will lose power in 2023.
Oustees claim works only to evacuate them
The villagers started the protest on Thursday alleging that the digging of the road by the authorities was intended only to evacuate them from Gudatipally village, which will be submerged by the Gouravelli reservoir.
The protesting oustees say that despite pressure from the State government to remove them from their land, they won’t stop agitating even if the police register multiple cases against them or resort to torture them