The activists of CPI and CPI (M) symbolically occupied mango groves, purported to have been owned by the family of former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, near Kalva village under Orvakal mandal in Kurnool district on Tuesday.
CPI State secretariat member K. Ramakrishna, district secretary K. Ramanjaneyulu, city secretary S.N. Rasool, CPI (M) district secretary T. Shadrak and Raithu Sangham leader K. Jagannatham led the protest.
Redistribution sought
The leaders and activists planted party flags after going round the plot shouting slogans. The leaders urged the Revenue authorities and the government to immediately retrieve the lands from the family of Gali Janardhan Reddy and redistribute it among the poor of the village.
According to them, the land located under survey no 438 F of Kalva village was classified as Assessed Waste Dry and distributed among the poor. However, the family of Mr. Janardhan Reddy purchased the lands from the poor scheduled caste and scheduled tribe farmers at throwaway price. They said ten acre land was registered in the name of Laxmi Aruna, wife of Mr. Janardhan Reddy and another large chunk in the name of Venugopal Reddy. They alleged that the entire block of 70 acre was owned by the family of Mr. Gali Janardhan Reddy and its benami holders.
‘Punish officials'
Mr. Ramakrishna demanded that the government initiate action against officials who cooperated with the violators by delaying action. He said the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court quantified the mining firms' fraud at Rs. 16,000 crore.
