People’s movement is needed to effectively check the ‘forcible acquisition’ of agricultural lands from farmers by the government in the name of building a new capital for Andhra Pradesh, according to former IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam, who headed the NAPM fact-finding committee on land pooling.
A meeting on ‘Green Field capital for AP, LRR Ordinance’ was organised by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) at the Visakhapatnam Public Library here on Thursday.
Agreeing with the suggestions made by Praja Spandana president C.S. Rao, Mr. Devasahayam said that a people’s referendum on the issue would be held in all the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh to elicit the opinion of the people. A memorandum would be submitted to the President of India not to allocate any money for the capital project and a Rajadhani Porata Samithi would be formed to involve the general public in the struggle.
State draws flak
The ‘forcible acquisition’ of fertile agricultural lands depriving farmers and agricultural workers of their livelihood came in for severe criticism by the speakers.
“The Chief Minister wants to replicate Singapore, which is a concrete jungle, in the most ‘agrarian state in India’ and destroy the peasant economy in the process. About 85 per cent of the farmers are small and marginal but earning good income and agricultural labourers are also earning good wages between Rs.300 and Rs.700 a day as crops are grown all through the year,” Mr Devasahayam said.
The speakers felt that though the farmers had given land under duress they could still take them back and avoid signing the agreement handing over power of attorney to the CRDA (Capital Region Development Authority) as it was vested with absolute powers even to mortgage the lands and raise loans or even cancel the capital project at a later stage. NAPM national convener B. Ramakrishnam Raju, Anumolu Gandhi, a farmer from Vijayawada, former IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma, veteran trade union leader V.V. Rama Rao and Congress leader Bolisetty Satya spoke.
People’s referendum will be held on the issue in all 13 districts of the State
M.G. Devasahayam
Former IAS officer
