Raising their voices resolutely against the proposed land pooling in several villages in Dharmasagar and other mandals under the Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) limits, scores of agitated farmers laid a siege to the National Highway 163 at Karunapuram in Dharmasagar mandal on Wednesday demanding repeal of the GO 80A.
Undeterred by the scorching heat, dozens of farmers from various villages in Dharmasagar and its adjoining mandals squatted on the highway as part of their stepped up agitation against GO 80A under the aegis of the Rythu Ikya Karyacharana Samithi.
Some farmers arrived at the spot in bullock carts from the nearby villages to amplify their voices.
The road blockade disrupted vehicular movement on the busy highway connecting Hanamkonda and Hyderabad for more than an hour, sources said.
A host of district leaders of various Opposition parties including the Congress and the BJP also took part in the protest expressing their solidarity with the agitating farmers.
Addressing the demonstration, the Rythu JAC leaders alleged that the land pooling exercise as envisaged by the GO 80A will entail pooling of thousands of acres of agricultural lands of farmers in more than 20 villages in the KUDA limits in the name of road infrastructure development/Outer Ring Road.
Vehemently opposing the proposed land pooling process, they deplored that the “arbitrary” move will result in “irreparable loss” to the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and also agricultural production.
Alleging that the reported decision of the authorities concerned to defer the land pooling process for the “time being” was not the solution, they sought the complete repeal of the GO 80A to safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, who are not ready to part with their lands.
In a statement, the Rythu Ikya Karyacharana Samithi old undivided Warangal district convenor B Peddanna alleged that several farmers were taken into preventive custody by the police in various villages in Zafferghad, Dharmasagar and Inavolu mandals to “foil” the farmers’ protests against the land pooling scheme.
