Farmers protest against Land Acquisition in front of Collectorate

Machilipatnam: Farmers, villagers, YSR Congress, CPM, CPI, Congress and CPI-ML leaders blocked the district collectorate gate on Monday and raised slogans against the Andhra Pradesh government, state minister K Ravindra and local MP Narayana Rao, demanding withdrawal of the land acquisition notification.

Leaders of all political parties except the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) participated in the protest demanding immediate withdrawal of the AP government's land acquisition notification. Protesting farmers said that they are not against development of the Machilipatnam port for which land has already been acquired but are opposing the AP government's bid to acquire more land in the name of setting up ancillary industries.

A large number of farmers from Kona, Gundupalem, Rudravaram, Chinnapuram, Pallitummalapalem, Polatitippa, Pothepalli, Karagraharam, Potllapalem, Hussenpalem, Borrapothupalem and Byragipalem participated in the protest.

Addressing the protest gathering, former MLA and YSR Congress leader Perni Venkataramiah as well as leaders of the CPM, CPI and Congress blamed AP's TDP-led state government for deliberately issuing a land acquisition notification on August 31, at midnight, only a day before the central government's land acquisition ordinance lapsed, in order to avoid a social impact assessment of the project.

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