Let Babu Take The Blow That Changes His Heart

East Godavari (Danavayipeta): The leader of opposition of AP and YSRCP president, YS Jagan, slammed the indifference shown by the Government to the agony of the victims resisting the set up of the pharmaceutical company in their area for the past 82 days. He condemned imposition of section 144 in the villages and cases on the those who supported the victims. Specifying how 22 cases had been filed on Raja for supporting them, 7 of which were cases for attempt to murder, he criticised the atrocity.

YS Jagan mentioned how CPM leader Madhu and former Rajya Sabha member also had faced the consequence of supporting the victims. Madhu's letter to the CM reporting the physical assault made on him, had gone unnoticed, he revealed. He questioned beating and filing cases against women. YS Jagan proclaimed the importance of making the whole state know about the disadvantages of the factory. He called for the victims to directly narrate their stories so that people of the state understood their agony and Chandrababu took the blow that would change his heart.

We are labourers here. 36 families are dependent on the beach. We have no taps. With coll breeze even in summers, we lead a happy and pleasant life. If this factory is established, it seems kids will not be born to the people here. If we resist, they are imposing cases against us. SI of Pithapuram did not hesitate even to beat women. Can't we hit back? We only honoured the uniform. We are being tortured.

There are 250 hatcheries around the factory area. About 100 people are employed in each hatchery. Around 20,000 people have their livelihood in this neighbourhood. There is no zone in the country more valuable than this. Such large scale production provides sea food to the whole country and is exported from here. The Government earns Rs.23,000 crore from prawns. Aquaculture yields a high income. Such a benefiting industry  should be encouraged. Hatcheries should, hence, be protected. Small prawns will be born and grown in healthy environment, which can be only near the shore.

If Divi's factory is set up here, the chemicals it is going to release into the sea will pollute the water and kill the sea creatures. Only to benefit the management of Divi's the whole situation is being put at stake.

Factories will be encouraged, because they provide employment, but the establishment of this factory will deprive 20,000 people of their livelihood. The sea water will be polluted and will use 65 lakh litres of water per day and release 55 lakh litres of polluted water into the sea. This will hinder fishermen from going into the sea for hunting. Hatcheries have been set up with an expenditure of Rs.400 crore. What will happen to them if the pharma company is set up? They want to set it up right here because Babu got ready to give away lands for a meagre cost of Rs.5 lakh per acre. He is giving the 630 acres of land snatched from farmers to Divi's. The lands of worth Rs.600 crore are being given away for just Rs.30 crore. Police cases are being filed against the farmers resisting this atrocity.