Collector focuses on land acquisition struggles of farmers

Tirupati : Tirupati District administration has launched a rapid initiative to address the struggles of farmers in Tammina Patnam and Kotta Patnam villages of Chillakur mandal in Gudur division, who have been grappling with land acquisition issues and delayed compensation. This move is in response to the difficulties faced by farmers due to APIIC – Kris city (Krishnapatnam Industrial City) project under Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) node.

On Friday, district Collector Dr S Venkateswar toured Gudur constituency, focusing on resolving the ongoing land acquisition and compensation distribution issues in the affected villages. He visited the areas in person and held grama sabhas to engage directly with farmers, assuring them of his commitment to resolving their concerns related to APIIC Kris city project, a part of CBIC Node. He urged farmers to be patient as efforts were underway to find solutions.

During grama sabhas, the Collector discussed various issues with farmers, including the status of government lands, D-Kata pattas and lands being cultivated without proper records. He promised to report the situation to the government and take further action to address their grievances.

To facilitate resolution process, Dr Venkateswar instructed Gudur RDO to form ten teams to conduct surveys. These surveys will take place in Tammina Patnam on Tuesday and in Kotta Patnam and Siddavatam on Wednesday, aiming to gather detailed information about the duration and extent of farmers' cultivation on government lands and their investments.

The Collector addressed other local problems, such as need for a retaining wall to prevent flooding in ST Colony of Tammina Patnam and allocation of house sites. He assured farmers that a comprehensive report detailing the ground realities and pending issues would be submitted to the government. Furthermore, he announced plans to organise a job fair in collaboration with the local MLA, aiming to provide employment opportunities for local youth in various industries. Venkateswar emphasised the importance of balancing industrial development with public welfare. He mentioned ongoing discussions with Jindal Power regarding their corporate social responsibility initiatives in education, healthcare and infrastructure development for the local villages.

The tour included the presence of Gudur RDO Kiran Kumar, APIIC Zonal Manager Chandra Sekhar, Tirupati Special Economic Zone Zonal Manager Vijaya Ratnam and other officials.