Farmers unhappy with TDP capital plan

Hyderabad,
Nov 18: Reaffirming that small, medium, tenant farmers and farm hands are in
distress and scared on the land acquisition policy of the TDP Government, YSR
Congress has said that it will stand by the people whose opinion is being
bulldozed for commercial gains as the exercise is being turning into a real
estate activity.

“The
State has to take into consideration the plight of small, medium, tenant
farmers and agriculture labour before taking any decision. Instead the State is
trying to launch a campaign by a handpicked few who stated that the majority of
the farmers are in favour of giving up their lands while the reality is
otherwise,” Party spokesperson K Parthasarathi told reporters here on Tuesday.

Party
President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has constituted a committee headed by Dharmana
Prasada Rao which has toured the region of the proposed capital city to know
firsthand the public opinion which is totally in contrast to what the State has
been saying.

“The
Government has been propagating that the farmers have unanimously agreed to
part with their land but the opinion expressed by the locals is totally the
opposite. They are living under duress and spending sleepless nights fearing
that their land will be taken away and they are in for a tough time.

Small and
medium farmers and tenant farmers are unable to express their opinion as they
fear backlash after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stating that if the
farmers will not give their land voluntarily, it will be taken through
legislation.

The State
has selected five TDP supporters from each village and is rubbing their opinion
on the majority of the people of the region. The land is fertile and the locals
have employment throughout the year. If it is given away, agriculture labour
will not find an alternative and the age factor does not suit to the so-called
upgrading of skills being promised by the State,” he said.

We are
not against the capital coming up in any place but all displaced persons should
be adequately compensated and their opinion should be taken into consideration
and confidence should be instilled among the locals, failing which we will
stand by them and fight against the injustice,” he said.