Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Brewing a `heady raw deal' for farmers?

Staff Reporter

Kotlapur ryots say their lands have been taken over in the name of setting up a brewery

ALL FOR JUSTICE: Women pleading with a CPI(M) fact-finding team to get their land back in Kotlapur village on Thursday. - Photo: Mohd. Arif

Sangareddy: It's a heady cocktail they fell for but it left them throw up more than they can swallow!

Farmers of Kotlapur in Sangareddy mandal were allegedly offered Rs. 1 lakh for each acre they surrender to the Government and a job per family in the proposed brewery.

Under the belief that the new brewery would change their lives for good, 120 farmers surrendered 75.31 acres of land under survey no. 294 to the Government in April. With the project not in sight and their land taken over by the Government, they are knocking on the doors of officials for justice. The Government had assigned 81 acres of land to 120 beneficiaries in 1981.

One Balamma of Kotlapur told members of the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Coolie Sangham and the CPI(M) who visited the lands on Thursday that Sangareddy legislator T. Jayaprakash Reddy had promised them money and jobs if they handed over the lands.

Pathamma, who lost 30 kuntas of land, said Dalits and farmers belonging to the BC and minority communities signed the papers that they thought was an agreement. However, it turned out to be a `request' for surrender.

Farmers who have realised that each acre can now fetch as much as Rs. 20 lakhs are demanding their land back. They organised dharna programmes on the issue.

MLA denies charges

However, refuting allegations of foul play, the MLA told reporters that proposals had been sent to the Government only after taking the consent of villagers. Mr. Reddy said that all he wanted was to develop the village.

Sangareddy MRO Asiah said that farmers had submitted their land voluntarily and the proposals for setting up the brewery had been sent to the APIIC.

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