Citizens’ Research Collective on SEZ

Appannapalem, January 9, 2008: The Telugu Desam Party, if it comes back to power after the next elections, would scrap the second phase of land acquisition in Rambilli mandal for the Atchyutapuram SEZ and if it failed to do so the leaders supporting the present agitation of the farmers would commit suicide, said TDP district unit president and former Minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy.

The Government had acquired 9,200 acres during the first phase and wanted to acquire 2, 200 acres now in five villages even as only 1,200 acres had been allotted in the first phase. Instead of taking up the second phase here it could do the same in other backward districts like Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, Mr. Satyanarayana Murthy said at an all-party meeting held at this village to oppose land acquisition here on Wednesday.

President of district BJP M. Muralidhara Raju said no farmer was ready to lose the land. The SEZ was meant to do real estate business and not for industrial promotion.

Agitation was the only way to achieve their demands, CPI district secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy told the farmers. Gottumukkala Sreenu of the Congress, local Sarpanch Nayudu Babu, TDP leaders Chanti Raju, S.V. Giri and others also spoke.

Land is the only source of their livelihood and the property their families have been enjoying for generations and they are not ready to hand it over to the Government for a few lakhs of rupees, asserted the farmers who gathered for the meeting.

The State Government acquired 9,200 acres for the SEZ in the past and started the process again for acquiring 2,190 acres more as part of the second phase for HPCL in Rambilli, Appannapalem, Lalam Koduru, Z. Chinguru and Seetapalem. This met with strong resistance from farmers and the recent development of the officials reportedly threatening them to take over the lands by depositing the compensation amount in the banks even if they are not willing, made the farmers intensify their agitation. The amount of Rs. 2.90 lakhs for an acre quoted by the Government as compensation failed to change their stand.

They were also critical of the present MLA, district Minister, other people’s representatives of the ruling party and officials for trying to impose the Government decision on them either by appeasement or through threats.

Konathala under fire
A young farmer from Gurajapalem criticised Minister for Commercial Taxes Konathala Ramakrishna and Elamanchili MLA U.V. Ramanamurthy Raju (Kannababu) for holding meetings with their supporters only and deciding that all farmers were willing to part with their lands. The Government had announced only the compensation but was mum on the relief package saying only that it would be a good one.

Kasireddy Venku Naidu of Krishnapuram wanted the farmers not to bother about compensation amount but protect their lands.

Lovapalem Sarpanch Yerrripalli Chittibabu, Banbaru Chetty of Venkayyapalem, Dentuluri Venkataramana Raju of Sitapalem strongly spoke against land acqusition. Pinnamaraju Haribabu of Rambilli said the farmers should stand united. P. Kishore Babu of Rambilli said the HPCL could be allotted land acquired in the first phase as huge extent of land was available there. If HPCL insisted on the land here the people of five villages should be allotted land equivalent of the land lost by them, in the area acquired for the first phase.

A native of Rambilli and doctor by profession Gorle Satyanarayana said the land acquisition would have disastrous effects on a farmer’s family.

Source: The Hindu