CPM politburo member Prakash Karat says the land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh is a huge scam in which TDP leaders are manipulating the records and creating fake farmers to corner the benefits at the cost genuine farmers. Karat suspects operation of the scam in the chief minister Naidu’s proposal to acquire 15 lakh acres in name of setting up of industries, building airports and establishing solar power plants. He described the whole process as ‘land-grabbing’ by the government itself. Asking why should government acquire the land from the farmers for private companies?, Karat said this proposal had opened flood gates for TDP leader to become land acquisition agents on behalf of both government and private companies.
The the CPM veteran visited Orvakal of Kurnool district, state’s one of the volcanoes waiting to erupt because of government proposal to acquire thousands of acres from the small and marginal farmers.
He interacted with farmers and addressed a public meeting at Sakunala village.
Prakash Karat says land acquisition in Andhra Pradesh has become a major source of corruption. He demanded the government to institute a thorough probe in the land acquisition deals to eliminate bogus farmers. He was talking about the deals entered to acquire the land for the solar power plants in Kurnool and Anantapuramu districts.
The farmers of Orvakal area have been on warpath resisting the government’s move to take their lands in the name of setting up of solar power plants and other industrial units. Addressing farmers at Sakunala village he wondered how the TDP arrogated to itself the role of land acquisition agent for industries. ” Land acquisition is an official process to be taken care of by the revenue department. How could the Teludu Desam Party have a direct role in the process,” he asked.
He alleged that the government was virtually grabbing the land from the vulnerable farmers by violating the provisions of the land acquisition act, indulging in corrupt practices and manipulating records to help fake beneficiaries.
“The government has proposed to acquire 15 lakh acres of land in the state for industrialization and construction of airports. Why is the government acquiring the land for private companies?” he wondered. He clarified that CPM was not against the setting up of solar power plants by a US company and he hastened to add that the compensation per acre should not be less than Rs 10 lakh.
He said the meagre amount now being offered was not acceptable. He demanded chief minister Naidu to ensure a compensation four time more than what was fixed now.
” National Airport Authority of India did not permit airports to come up at a distance of 100 km between them. Still the land being acquired in the name of airports in each district and is being diverted to other purposes,” he alleged and demanded that the process should be transparent. CPM would fight for the rights of the farmers in Andhra Pradesh, he assured the farmers of Kurnool district.
