The mysterious fire which gutted farm utilities and banana plantations at Rayapudi and Lingayapalam villages in Thullur and Mangalagiri mandals, part of the proposed capital region, has led to a war of words between leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam and YSR Congress.
Minister for Agriculture Pratipati Pulla Rao blamed the YSRC for instigating the attack and said factional politics would have no place in the peaceful region. He said those behind the attack would be punished.
Earlier, the Minister rushed to villages and along with Collector Kantilal Dande and went around the damaged fields. Farmers upset with the sudden disaster countered the Minister and demanded that the guilty be punished.
YSRC MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy, who visited Penumaka, Undavalli villages, blamed the ruling TDP government for causing unrest in villages. He said farmers would be not be cowed down by such attacks and reiterated that farmers in river front villages would not forgo their fertile lands.
The blame game between the two parties comes after unidentified miscreants set ablaze farm utilities at the two riverfront villages of Rayapudi and Lingayapalem at Thullur and Mangalagiri mandals in an incident which took place on Sunday night. Police formed search teams to capture a man wearing a monkey cap, who had reportedly given the villagers a miss after being caught. The man was believed to have been accompanied by an accomplice.
Given the nature of incident, it could be the act of a mischief monger trying to create panic among farmers or a miscreant. We will soon nab him,’’ said SPP.H.D. Ramakrishna. Bundles of sticks used to support banana plantations, drip irrigation pipes and other farm utensils were destroyed in the fire reported in the two villages. “I was working at my home when someone called me to say that he saw a fire at my field. I rushed to find bundles of sticks set ablaze.
