Any development needs to be ‘people-centred' but not to favour a few influential persons at the cost of depriving the poor of their livelihood, feel the participants of a jatha, which was taken out from the city to Nellore to enlighten the people on the ‘destructive-development' policies being adopted by the governments.
Representatives of various people's organisations and struggle committees took part in the jatha, which was flagged off at the Gandhi statue at Asilametta junction on March 15. “Large tracts of fertile agricultural lands were converted into waste lands in the coastal districts. Real estate dealers purchased the agricultural lands in bulk from farmers and converted them into housing plots, anticipating a steep hike in land rates in view of the projected development works in the name of SEZs and Industrial Parks. Rice production in the coastal districts was on the decline and cultivation of fruits and vegetables had also gone down,” the jatha participants told the media on their return to the city on Monday.
Industrial pollution has reached alarming levels and people living in the affected areas were facing acute health problems. On the inaugural day (March 15), the jatha participants interacted with the residents of Old Town area and Gnanapuram, residents of the industrial belt, Sheela Nagar, Mindi, Gajuwaka areas and people of Parawada and Atchutapuram.
