The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : CPI opposes coastal corridor

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

CPI opposes coastal corridor

Staff Reporter

Agriculture and fisheries sector will be hit, say leaders
Displacement attempt will be resisted

Visakhapatnam: The proposed Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Region (PCPIR) between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada will ruin the economy of all villages along the coast and lead to food scarcity in the State, according to Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders.

The CPI held a demonstration against the proposed coastal industrial corridor and PCPIR opposite the District Collector’s office on Thursday.

Rice production

Addressing the gathering, the CPI leaders said that the coastal districts account for 67 lakh tonnes of rice of the total 96 lakh tonnes being produced in the State. There were about 80 lakh fishermen, 25 lakh dalits and over 1 crore small and medium farmers, lakhs of agricultural labourers and artisans in the nine coastal districts of the region.

Besides paddy, the nine districts grow several commercial crops and other crops, and they would all be at risk as the State Government decided to acquire 1.5 lakh acres between Vizag and Kakinada in the first phase and subsequently five lakh acres in the nine districts, the party leaders alleged.

Besides loss to the agricultural sector, the move would ruin the fisheries sector and result in large-scale displacement of fishermen.

They will be denied access to the sea and the chemical industries would pollute the sea waters. They demanded cancellation of GO No. 34 and withdrawal of the ‘Coastal corridor’ proposal. They warned that any attempts to drive out the fishermen and farmers from the villages would be met with stiff resistance and the government would have to own responsibility for any untoward incident arising out of it. CPI leaders Chalasani Raghavendra Rao and A.J. Stalin were among those who spoke.

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