Dalit farmers raise pitch for judicious share of land under pooling project

Rangareddy: Urging the government for a judicious share of land as compensation during land pooling project, Dalit farmers in Budvelin Ranga Reddy district protested on Saturday along with their families.

A total of 66 families of ‘pattadars’, along with 82 encroachers, took part in the protest that lasted for an hour. The families contended that their nuclear families have turned into extended families over years and the extent of land the government has fixed is arguably insufficient for them to accommodate.

“It was in 1973-74 when the then former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assigned 4-5 acres of (Dunne Wadide Bhumi) land to farmers in the village and released patta passbooks and certificates,” said KoraniSadanand, president, Telangana RythuSangham, Budvel.

Later, he said, the then MRO had blamed farmers for selling the land to others and brought the issue to notice of the then collector who in turn cancelled the pattas and issued notices to the assignees. “Although we have taken up the issue with the MRO, the Collector and local public representatives, none paid heed to our woes. Subsequently farmers approached the high court in 2008 and got an order in their favour, including instructions to add names of farmers in the revenue records,” explained Sadanand.

“As families of assignees reached to the third generation and their micro families have turned into extended ones, 800 sqyd land per five acres fixed earlier is arguably insufficient to accommodate. Hence, we request the government to provide 1000 sq yd per acre to each assignee in Budvel under the land pooling project,” maintained Korani Balraj, secretary.