Beela agitators still facing police cases
Srikakulam : Peaceful and pristine wetlands at Beela situated in between historical village Baruva and Sompeta witnessed unrest and bloodshed in 2010 after then Congress government handed over lands to Nagarjuna Constructions Company (NCC) for establishment of thermal power plant (TPP). The then Congress government ignored importance of the Beela wetlands in protection of environmental balance and sanctioned the plant. Infuriated by the decision people led by Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi (PPS), Human Rights Forum (HRF) and other organisations launched an agitation by observing hunger strikes. The movement against TPP sets record across the world as longest and committed agitation.
The then state government adopted different modes to supress the agitation but failed. Finally, on 14 July 2010 police opened fire against agitators in which three persons died. Police booked cases against 723 persons, including the leader of the agitation Beena Dhilli Rao. These cases are still continuing and the accused are attending the courts. The then opposition TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and later YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy assured to lift cases against the agitators saying that the agitation is for good cause i.e. protection of biological diversity and ecological balance. Finally, the accused agitators took their appeal to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Even after the police firing, agitators continued their agitation and it attracted worldwide attention. Various Left-oriented organisations and associations inspected the Beela lands and also scientists of Saleem Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History to study and submitted their reports. Though Congress government cancelled the TPP proposal before 2014 elections but had not to cancelled the orders of allotment of Beela lands to NCC. “We are demanding the government to lift cases against us and cancel orders for allotment of lands to NCC to start eco-friendly projects here,” leader of the agitation Beena Dhilli Rao said.