Poor response to AP land pooling

Wary farmers adopting wait & watch approach

Guntur: Farmers, particularly those having fertile lands and are willing to part with their lands for the State capital are adopting a ' wait and see' approach to extract a better package than what has been announced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Ministers and bureaucrats who were initially upbeat about achieving land pooling by Sankranti are a bit disappointed as things are moving slow. That is why officials received consent letters for only 2,057 acres so far of the targeted 30,000 in Tadepalli, Mangalagiri and Thulluru. Farmers holding fertile lands and willing to give them have not given consent letters in Venkatapalem, Uddandarayanipalem and Lingayapalem in Thulluru mandal.

Tadikonda MLA Tenali Shravan Kumar has visited Malkapuram, Rayapudi and Mandadam and met farmers and impressed upon them to speed up the process of issuing consent letters. Several farmers urged him to revise the package announced for fertile land farmers. The government's offer was 1,000 square yards of house-site and 300 square yards of commercial space for every acre of land given,besides, a tenancy payment of Rs.50,000 per acre to farmers.

In Mangalagiri farmers of Kuragallu, Neerukonda and Krishnayyapalem too have not come forward to offer lands despite the land-pooling notification on Wednesday. Many farmers have questions/demands pertaining to the package. Those supporting the government are also divided on the question of package. They want a better deal. However, officials are optimistic that next few days will see an exodus of farmers who would give their consent letters, as ministers and MLAs visiting villages are clearing their doubts and giving assurances.

By:Ravi P Benjamin