PNS|Vijayawada
Farmers in Amaravati, who have faced a setback in the High Court regarding the prevention of land distribution for the construction of Jagananna housing colonies in the capital region, are preparing for a fresh round of protests.
Srinivasa Rao, the president of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi, announced that farmers would initiate a movement opposing the establishment of a Residential Zone (R-5) in Amaravati for weaker sections’ housing colonies.
As part of this agitation, the farmers plan to embark on a ‘padayatra’ starting from NTR Ghat in Hyderabad and concluding at Uddarayunipalem village in Amaravati, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the capital city.
The ‘padayatra’ is scheduled to commence on July 17 and will culminate in a public meeting at Uddandarayunipalem village.
During the second phase of the protest, the farmers will undertake the ‘Gadapa Gadapaku Amaravati’ programme in Tadikonda, Mangalagiri, and other areas in and around the Amaravati region.
“In the third phase, we will embark on a rath yatra across all 175 assembly constituencies, with the sole intention of defeating Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party in the upcoming assembly elections,” Rao stated. He added that it is inappropriate to allocate capital land, originally intended for industrial and commercial purposes, to the economically disadvantaged.
Simultaneously, Amaravati farmers have filed a review petition in the high court, urging the Jagan government to halt the construction of houses for the poor in Amaravati.
They reiterate that the allotment of land for housing purposes is illegal and goes against the judgment of the three-member bench of the state high court. The Supreme Court has also stated that land allotment is subject to the final judgment of the court, and the recipients will have no permanent rights to the land until the case is resolved.
Despite these concerns, the Jagan government has proceeded with the distribution of pattas for the housing scheme in the R-5 zone of Amaravati. Official sources confirm that the chief minister will lay the foundation stone for the housing scheme on July 8.
