Don’t make Tundurru another Nandigram, warns Pawan

​Hyderabad: Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan on Saturday cautioned the Andhra Pradesh state government not to make Tundurru in West Godavari into another Nandigram by going ahead with its decision to set up Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park.

It may be mentioned here that trouble in Nandigram in West Bengal began when the government wanted to set up SEZ for building a chemical hub with investment from an Indonesian conglomerate, the Salim Group. The local people strongly opposed and it sparked violence resulting in police firing in which 14 people died and many were injured. Finally in the elections that followed the incident, the 35-year-old CPM government lost power.

Pawan questioned imposition of prohibitory orders for the last 35 days in villages and foisting of cases against people opposing the aqua park. He asked the government not to be adamant till the people lose their patience and retaliate en masse.

The local people strongly opposed and it sparked violence resulting in police firing in which 14 people died and many were injured. Finally in the elections that followed the incident, the 35-year-old CPM government lost power.

Pawan questioned imposition of prohibitory orders for the last 35 days in villages and foisting of cases against people opposing the aqua park. He asked the government not to be adamant till the people lose their patience and retaliate en masse.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Saturday, Pawan Kalyan criticised the government for not taking into confidence the local villagers before giving permission to set up the aqua park at Tundurru. The government and even the local BJP MP Gokaraju Gangaraju had failed to convince the fishermen of the villages that are likely to be affected, he said.

Pawan said the fishermen were worried that the factory would pollute the Yenamadarru canal, providing drinking water to the people. Taking exception of government giving its nod for the factory, Pawan said such factories should be located in non-agriculture lands and not on fertile crop yielding ones, he pointed out.

Referring to how another fresh water canal was polluted completely due to the effluents let out by a paper mill in the same area, Pawan said that the industries promise to take precautions but once the factories are set up they don’t keep up their word.

He wondered why the MLAs and MPs of TDP and BJP were not taking into consideration the genuine concerns of the local villagers.

The Jana Sena leader said that he is not against industrialisation. But, at the same time, it should not be done at the cost of losing agricultural lands. He demanded the government to withdraw the permission given to the factory at the present location and move it low-lying areas near the shoreline to permanently resolve the issue.

Pawan Kalyan also warned the government against its policies of facilitating consolidation of wealth in the hands of a few, which might snowball into clashes between various communities in the State. He said if the state government fails to address the issue then Jana Sena would extend its support to any party that would agitate to protect the interests of the people. He also appealed to the High Court to take into cognizance of the disturbing situation in Tundurru surrounding villages.