The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Displacement fear haunts people of Dindi

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Monday, Sep 15, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Displacement fear haunts people of Dindi

P. Samuel Jonathan

Following proposal for coastal corridor, farmers are lured by middlemen

Most of the farmers have been cultivating groundnut, paddy
Village council adopts resolution that none would part with land

DINDI (GUNTUR DT): Clouds of uncertainty have been hanging over this coastal hamlet, located 5 km from the sea, ever since news about a massive coastal corridor began trickling in a couple of months ago. When the State Government released an official gazette seeking objections to acquisition of 1,096 acres of patta land in July, the worst fears of people living here came true.

Sandwiched between great expectations that the proposed corridor would change the face of the underdeveloped region and fears of displacement from lands, which have been a source of livelihood, many residents continue to lead anxious lives. “Huge chunks of land have been brought by politicians and industrialists. Land prices have soared and an acre of land which used to cost Rs.40,000 last year, now costs Rs.1.5 lakhs to Rs. 3 lakhs. Most of us are hoping that we will get still higher price in future,” said a local leader.

For instance, Jonna Kanaka Sundaramma has been holding onto her 1.5 acre of land dearly for about 30 years till she was approached by “middlemen” offering to buy for Rs.1 lakhs. “I could not resist the offer as I am in need of money. But now, I am ruing as I would have got a higher price for my land,” she said.

She was one of about 25 farmers who have sold their lands to a private company, which hired “middlemen” to buy off large chunks of land. The modus operandi of the middlemen is simple. They rope in some locals and contact farmers. “They said that the government will take lands at a throwaway price. They even threatened that police will shoot us if we resist their attempts. We are at the mercy of the middlemen,” rues a farmer Chanda Yanadi.

Farmers here have been cultivating groundnut, paddy and some of them have been raising fish ponds. Most of them have dug bore-wells and since then returns from cultivation have been more than handy.

No pucca houses

“We have been living here since our ancestors. We are used to this air and water and we will resist any moves to displace us,” said another villager Ch. Subba Rao. Others include, toddy tapers and dairy farmers.

Incidentally, the village does not have a single pucca house constructed under Indiramma scheme. Dindi was included under the third phase of the scheme in the district. “The government did not care for our wellbeing and we are left to fend ourselves for all these years. What right it has to take away our lands?” questions another villager, Sobha Rani.

Village sarpanch Sujatha said that the village council passed a resolution a couple of months ago stating that none in the village would part with the land and stressed that the government should take into consideration all the resolutions passed by local bodies.

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