Attack on farmers: Naidu warns YSRCP

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seriously warned the activists of YSR Congress Party of stern action if they continued to attack farmers of Chennayapalem village in Guntur district. The lands of these farmers were acquired for power project which was to be developed by Saraswati Power and Industries.

Hundreds of farmers, including women, and some of them injured in the attack, met the Chief Minister at the Lake View guest house on Saturday evening.

They narrated how the goons hired by the YSRCP attacked them for growing cotton crop on the lands which were already taken over by the proponent of the power project.

The Chief Minister earlier visited the village during his Janma Bhoomi programme two days ago and asked the Agriculture Minister P Pulla Rao to submit a report. Basing on the report, the government immediately issued a GO cancelling the land allotment.

The villagers told The Hans India that 1,200 acres of land was acquired by Saraswati Power and Industries to generate 50 MW of power. The land was handed over to the company in 2006, but so far no work on the project was initiated. The villagers, mostly Dalits and Minorities, began cultivating the cotton crop.

“Two days ago, the company hired goons who came in 30 tractors and destroyed the entire crop. They also tried to set ablaze a woman farmer who offered some resistance,” alleged the villagers.

Earlier, these farmers staged a dharna in front of YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s house and alleged that the company had taken away their lands and failed to do justice to them.

When they demanded that the company fulfill its assurances, they were beaten up by some goons, they alleged.