Srikakulam: Farmers oppose Jagananna township

Srikakulam: Farmers are opposing the proposed Jagananna township at Boddapadu village in Palasa mandal.

The housing colony was proposed in an extent of 150 acre land under survey number 70.

The government has decided to pay Rs 12.50 lakh per acre of land as compensation, including to those who are in possession of assigned lands, and also a house site in an extent of two cents under rehabilitation and resettlement scheme for the farmers who will be affected.

The trouble cropped up when revenue officials proposed to acquire 13 acre land under survey numbers 76, 77 in the same village. These lands were assigned to 14 farmers previously for their livelihood. The farmers, are now demanding compensation on par with other farmers and a house.

The farmers of assigned lands are demanding Rs 12.50 lakh for per acre as compensation and also a house for each farmer.

Revenue officials have not agreed to the demands of these 14 farmers due to which tension has escalated in the village. The officials are citing various reasons like lack of fool-proof records for denying compensation to the farmers of assigned lands.

Farmers have decided to intensify their agitation and leaders of Left parties along with other civil society organisations have extended their support to agitating farmers.

Palasa tahsildar L Madhusudana Rao registered a complaint with the Palasa rural police in this regard and eight farmers were arrested on Monday.

Left parties and other leaders like P Danesu, D Sriramulu, T Trilochana Rao, B Vasudeva Rao, P Kameswara Rao, S Ganapathi, B Omkar, K Dushyanth, T Sanayasi Rao, among others, visited the village on Tuesday and expressed their solidarity with the farmers and assured them to fight against illegal land acquisition.