Congress activists staged a dharna to protest against the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) call to Thullur area farmers to forgo their second crop. Congress workers led by PCC vice-president Devineni Rajasekhar, general secretary, Akula Srinivasa Kumar and others squatted in front of the CRDA gate and raised slogans against the policies of the CRDA.
The Vijayawada city, Krishna and Guntur districts Congress Committees in a joint memorandum to the CRDA Commissioner said the decision to stop cultivation of crops in the lands earmarked for construction of the new capital was against the interest of farmers in particular and the people in general. Such “decisions would have an impact on the food security of the country” the memorandum said.
Mr Rajasekhar said the decision to stop cultivation of crop so early was really unfortunate.
Vijayawada city president Malladi Vishnu said the land required for the development of the new capital should be acquired as per the guidelines of the Land Acquisition Act. And land should be taken only from farmers who volunteer to hand over their land.
Rythu Sanghala Samakya leader Mallela Seshagiri Rao said it was improper for officials to ask farmers to stop cultivation without ‘transfer of property’. PCC general secretaries Naraharisetti Narasimha Rao, L. Easwara Rao secretary K.Sivaji, Youth Congress leader Devineni Avinash and others participated in the dharna.
