Land pooling protests gather pace

• Retired judge Justice Lakshamana Reddy assures farmers under CRDA region of his help to fight legal battles against govt
• Former judge goes round all villages in three mandals and interacts with agriculturists
• He is accompanied by a team of social activists and JVVmembers
• National Alliance of People’s Movement to hold roundtable in Hyderabad on January 5

Lingayapalem (Guntur): Retired judge P Lakshmana Reddy on Friday extended his support to farmers to resist the State government’s move to snatch farm lands in the name of building capital city. He assured the farmers that he would help them fight legal battles against the government.

The State government declared three mandals–Thulluru, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri – as Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) region. The CRDA Act was passed by the Assembly to empower the government to pool the land in the three mandals for capital city.

Justice Lakshmana Reddy, accompanied by a team of social activists and members of the Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV), organised ‘Farmers Awareness Campaign’ covering all 29 villages that were identified for acquisition of land.

He explained the legal aspects of the land pooling and land acquisition. He advised the farmers to opt for land acquisition under the “Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2014.” The Land Acquisition Act, he said, would enable the farmers secure a better compensation and assured rehabilitation. He ridiculed the government’s proposal to pool land by giving it a name “land pooling” under the CRDA Act- 2014. He pointed out that several provisions of the Act would not stand for legal scrutiny.

Justice Lakshmana Reddy said he made efforts to clear up confusion over the “land pooling.” The farmers were too confused to arrive at a decision, he felt. He would extend legal assistance to farmers to fight battles against the government.

He held interactions with the farmers of Undavalli, Penumaka, Mandadam, Uddandarayanipalem, Lingayapalem, Rayapudi and Nidamarru. He listened to them and elicited their views on various aspects.

The JVV State president V Lakshaman Reddy, High Court advocate Jaganmohan Reddy, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh leader J Kumara Swamy, local farmers leader Anumolu Gandhi and others were present during the interactions with the farmers.

Meanwhile, National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) has taken upon itself the responsibility of protecting the interest of farmers. Experts who include Harsh Mander, social activist who works with organisations for street children, former Cabinet Secretary R B Sexena, former IAS officer M G Devashayam, social activists Aruna Roy and others will organise a roundtable in Hyderabad on January 5 on the issue. Researchers, experts, architects, social activists, legal luminaries and farmers leaders have come together to form a common platform to expose gray areas in the CRDA Act.

By: D Gopi