YADADRI-BHUVANAGIRI : The government’s plan to construct the ambitious Regional Ring Road (RRR) has hit a fresh hurdle in Bhuvanagiri. The farmers here, who claim that they have already given away their land for various development projects and expansion of the National Highway, obstructed the officials from conducting a survey for the RRR.
“We have given our lands for several government projects. We will not give an inch more for the construction of the RRR,” said a farmer from Rayagiri on the condition of anonymity. The government acquired 100 acres of land here for the expansion of National Highway-163, 45 acres for works related to the Kaleshwaram project, and another three acres for installing high-tension electricity lines and towers.
Now, the government is likely to acquire more than 256 acres of land for laying the Regional Ring Road. Officials recently began a survey in various parts of the Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district for the construction of the RRR, which is being funded jointly by the Central and State governments.
According to the alignment prepared earlier by the government, the RRR was supposed to pass through Motakonduru village, but there are allegations that changes were made in the alignment due to pressure from some ruling party leaders, and the RRR route was shifted towards Rayagiri.
According to the official gazette released by the government as part of the construction of the RRR northern stretch (158 km), the authorities are preparing to acquire 1852.44 acres of land across 34 villages in the district.
Another farmer from Rayagiri, Ramuluu, alleged that Bhuvanagiri MLA P Shekhar Reddy recently bought 200 acres near Rayagiri. Similarly, many other ruling party leaders bought lands in this area and tried to use their influence to have the RRR pass through here. “For that, the RRR should first pass through our lands, so the value of the leaders’ lands increases. But we will not give up our lands and will continue our agitation,” he said.
“We will move court against the change of alignment,” he added. Meanwhile, N Narsimha, a farmer whose land is also coming under the RRR, said, “My wife died of a heart attack when she first heard that the government was planning to take away our land for the RRR. My family owns only 17 guntas, and I have three sons. How will they survive if the government takes away that land?”
TPCC vice-president and Bhuvanagiri civic body floor leader P Pramodakumar said that MLAs and ministers of the ruling party had bought thousands of acres in the surrounding areas of Rayagiri. He alleged that a plan has been made to forcibly take over the lands of poor farmers.
On the other hand, the revenue officials said that Rayagiri farmers had given a representation for the change of RRR alignment. “We sent it to the Centre and State officials. But now, they do not accept the change in the RRR alignment,” said a senior official from the revenue department.