WARANGAL: Even as the embers continued to smoulder after the clash between the police and farmers in Siddipet district, a similar row erupted when the Transco officials tried to string tension cables from one tower to another in farmlands in Mogilicherla in Warangal district.
As soon as the power utility officials arrived to string the cables, the farmers who owned the lands began staging a protest, obstructing the officials from doing their work.The police forces who were deployed just in case the farmers would resist the power utility officials, swung into action and tried to pacify them. When they did not listen, they took the farmers away to Geesukonda police station.
Trouble began at Mogilicherla when farmers stopped the officials in their tracks when they tried to set up 420 kV high tension power lines. Learning about the farmers’ protest, Warangal DCC President Naini Rajender Reddy and Former Mayor Errabelli Swarna rushed to the village to stand by the farmers where an argument ensued between them and the police. Later they were all taken to Geeskonda police station.
According to sources, the power utility offices tried to string in cables on towers after an agreement to pay Rs 1 lakh per tower to farmers in whose land it came up. But farmers said they wanted an extra payment of Rs 60,000 per acre for the entire distance .