Tension mars public hearing: Bhogapuram

​Vizianagaram: Tensions prevailed during the public hearing for the construction of green field airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district on Wednesday, with police allegedly arresting every opposing voice.

Curfew like situation was seen in the surrounding villages as well. Leaders of Left parties and YSRCP were taken into custody.

It should be recalled that 2,040 acres of land was required for the project and the government acquired 80 per cent of lands from the locals.

Nearly, 300 acres has to be acquired to complete the process but it was stalled due to opposition from villagers, who were demanding for higher compensation.

On Wednesday the government organised public hearing in the presence of pollution control board staff and Airport Authority of India staff.

Suspecting that leaders of Opposition parties might provoke public against the project, YSRCP leaders U Suryanarayana, B Prabhakar Reddy and Datla Sridevi were taken into preventive custody.

Similarly, CPI district secretary P Kameswara Rao and others were arrested late on Tuesday night and were sent to Vizianagaram police station.

Tammineni Suryanarayana and Jaganmohan Rao of CPM were detained before the commencement of the public hearing. Public complained of police high-handedness and charged that nobody was allowed to talk during the meeting.

“They have handed over the mike to the selected people, who were going to support the project. Those opposing the project were sent out.

Public hearing was conducted only with the supporters belonging to Telugu Desam Party,” few participants said on the condition of anonymity.

It was alleged that MLA Narayanaswamy Naidu attempted to elicit positive response from the public and encouraged those, who supported setting up of airport.