Slowly but steadily, the situation in the submerging villages under Mallannasagar is going out of control if the incidents that took place on Saturday are any indication.
Irate over taking up cultivation in the lands of one Pratap Reddy, his sister, and other Dalit people who sold their lands to the government under GO 123 for the construction of Mallannasagar reservoir, women of Etigaddaksihtapur damaged their field and burnt the drip irrigation pipes and damaged a starter.
“About 1,000 women and children from the village gathered in the morning and started damaging the fields of Pratap Reddy his relatives alleging that he sold them and is still cultivating them by getting the double benefit, whereas others in the village are fighting against land acquisition,” said one Rajasekhar Reddy of the village, a witness to the incident. He said that maize crop was damaged on about 10 acres, while paddy seedlings were damaged on about 13 acres.
More than 10 police vehicles rushed to the village and tried to control the mob but they were reportedly stopped by women and children, who are in the forefront of the agitation. Some men also joined them later. Meanwhile, the police registered cases under the Prevention of Atrocities against SC/STs Act on 60 persons.
Journalist attacked
In a related development, the villagers of Vemulaghat, one of the submerging villages, attacked Srikanth, a scribe of a local channel. A complaint was lodged in this regard with the police.
